Men's basketball rankings: Gonzaga down to No. 18 in AP Top 25 poll

Loss to Saint Mary's in WCC title game dropped the Bulldogs one spot in the poll heading into the 2024 NCAA Tournament

Less than 24 hours after learning they'll be a 5-seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the Gonzaga Bulldogs were knocked down one spot to No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll released Monday.

The voters dropped Gonzaga (25-7, 14-2 WCC) slightly following its 70-57 loss in the West Coast Conference Tournament title game to Saint Mary's, which saw the largest jump of any team in the poll as it rose six spots to No. 15. It's the highest ranking in the poll for the Gaels since they were 15th on Feb. 20, 2023. 

Gonzaga received 413 votes from the panel, putting it between No. 17 Kansas (445) and No. 19 Alabama (380). UConn held the top spot in the poll once again with 61 of 62 first-place votes, followed by Houston, Purdue, Iowa State and North Carolina rounding out the top five. No. 7 Auburn and No. 10 Illinois joined the poll's top 10.

Gonzaga's opponent in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, McNeese State, received six votes from the panel. The Cowboys have won 11 straight and claimed their first Southland Conference title since 2002 as they set the program record for total wins in a season (30). 

Gonzaga prepares for McNeese State in 1st round of 2024 NCAA Tournament: 'They're probably gonna get up into us'

Looking at advanced metrics sites, the Bulldogs are top 20 in the NET (17), KenPom (15), Bart Torvik (14) and Haslametrics (12) among others.

Here's the complete AP Top 25 poll:

1. UConn (31-3, 18-2 Big East)
2. Houston (30-4, 15-3 Big 12)
3. Purdue (29-4, 17-3 Big Ten)
4. Iowa State (27-7, 13-5 Big 12)
5. North Carolina (27-7, 17-3 ACC)
6. Tennessee (24-8, 14-4 SEC)
7. Auburn (27-7, 13-5 SEC)
8. Marquette (25-9, 14-6 Big East)
9. Arizona (25-8, 15-5 Pac-12)
10. Illinois (26-8, 14-6 14-6 Big Ten)
11. Creighton (23-9, 14-6 Big East)
12. Kentucky (23-9, 13-5 SEC)
13. Duke (24-8, 15-5 ACC)
14. Baylor (23-10, 11-7 Big 12)
15. Saint Mary's (26-7, 15-1 WCC)
16. South Carolina (26-7, 13-5 SEC)
17. Kansas (22-10, 10-8 Big 12)
18. Gonzaga (25-7, 14-2 WCC)
19. Alabama (21-11, 13-5 SEC)
20. Utah State (27-6, 14-4 MWC)
21. BYU (23-10, 10-8 Big 12)
22. Texas Tech (23-10, 11-7 Big 12)
23. Wisconsin (22-13, 11-9 Big Ten)
24. San Diego State (24-10, 11-7 MWC)
25. Washington State (24-9, 14-6 Pac-12)

Sean Farnham calls Gonzaga's Ben Gregg 'a difference maker' in the starting lineup