Men's basketball rankings: Gonzaga unranked in latest AP Top 25 poll (1/29/2024)

UConn remains the top-ranked college basketball team in the country

Gonzaga men's basketball remained outside of the AP Top 25 poll for the third straight week on Monday, two days after an 82-73 win at Pacific.

The Bulldogs (15-5, 6-1 WCC) slugged their way through a back-and-forth first half riddled with foul trouble, as the Tigers (6-16, 0-7 WCC) buckled down defensively to take a 31-30 lead into halftime. Graham Ike, who played just four minutes in the first half before picking up two fouls, scored 18 of his team-high 20 points in the second half, forcing Pacific to adjust defensively which allowed for more open 3-point looks. Gonzaga was 6-for-11 from downtown, including a stretch of five consecutive makes, after missing nine of its 11 attempts in the first half.

Following the victory, the Bulldogs received four votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll that didn't feature much movement at the top of the pecking order.

UConn, Purdue, North Carolina, Houston and Tennessee all held their respective positions in the top five spots. The Huskies earned 48 of the 63 first-place votes after a 99-56 rout of Xavier in their eighth-straight win, while the Boilermakers received 14 votes for the top spot and the Cougars, who are No. 1 in the NET and in KenPom, got one from the panel. 

No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 7 Duke followed suit. The Badgers ascended seven positions in the poll after surviving a scare at Minnesota and taking down Michigan State by 15. The Blue Devils also got back into the top 10 after a pair of free throws from Tyrese Proctor in the final seconds beat Clemson, 72-71, at Cameron Indoor on Saturday. Kansas, Marquette and Kentucky followed in order.

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The biggest riser in the latest poll was No. 12 Iowa State, which climbed 11 spots following its 79-75 win over the Jayhawks in Hilton Coliseum. The Quad 1 victory put the Cyclones at 13-0 at home this season without any losses in Quad 2, 3 or 4 games. Creighton, Illinois and Texas Tech rounded out the top 15.

The Red Raiders sit atop the Big 12 standings after picking up two wins over ranked opponents in BYU and Oklahoma last week. The Cougars dropped one spot to No. 22, though the Sooners suffered the biggest tumble of the week by dropping 12 spots. Prior to the loss to Texas Tech, Oklahoma suffered a 75-60 defeat to Texas.

Along with Gonzaga in the WCC, Saint Mary's also received votes (9) amid its perfect start to league play. The Gaels downed Pacific, 76-28, and Loyola Marymount, 70-65, at home last week for the program's second-consecutive 7-0 start in WCC action. Saturday marks a pivotal battle between the Bulldogs and Gaels in Spokane as a legitimate resume builder for both teams.

Here is the rest of the AP Top 25:

1. UConn (18-2, 8-1 Big East)

2. Purdue (19-2, 8-2 Big Ten)

3. North Carolina (17-3, 9-0 ACC)

4. Houston (18-2, 5-2 Big 12)

5. Tennessee (15-4, 5-1 SEC)

6. Wisconsin (16-4, 8-1 Big Ten)

7. Duke (15-4, 6-2 ACC)

8. Kansas (16-4, 4-3 Big 12)

9. Marquette (15-5, 6-3 Big East)

10. Kentucky (15-4, 5-2 SEC)

11. Arizona (15-5, 6-3 Pac-12)

12. Iowa State (16-4, 5-2 Big 12)

13. Creighton (16-5, 7-3 Big East)

14. Illinois (15-5, 6-3 Big Ten)

15. Texas Tech (16-3, 5-1 Big 12)

16. Auburn (16-4, 5-2 SEC)

17. Utah State (18-2, 6-1 MWC)

18. Baylor (15-4, 3-3 Big 12)

19. New Mexico (18-3, 6-2 MWC)

20. Florida Atlantic (17-4, 7-1 AAC)

21. Dayton (16-3, 6-1 A-10)

22. BYU (15-5, 3-4 Big 12)

23. Oklahoma (15-5, 3-4 Big 12)

24. Alabama (14-6, 6-1 SEC)

25. TCU (15-5, 4-3 Big 12)

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