WCC power rankings: Gonzaga secures No. 1 spot with win at San Diego State

The Bulldogs are No. 1 in our third WCC power rankings of the season after their 13-point win over the Aztecs

Gonzaga Bulldogs senior guard Khalif Battle. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

No program in the country has arguably looked more impressive through the first two weeks of the college basketball season than the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Following Monday night's 80-57 win at San Diego State, the Zags (4-0) have notched three wins against teams ranked inside the top 100 on KenPom.com. They averaged 94.5 points in back-to-back games against Big 12 opponents, including a 101-63 blowout over then-No. 8 Baylor in what was the largest margin of victory over an AP Top 10 team in a season opener. Gonzaga followed the historic night up with an 8-point victory over Arizona State, then a massive 59-point triumph over UMass-Lowell prior to the Aztecs matchup.

As Mark Few and company came out of their first true road test with flying colors, it became evident that while a lot of teams around the country are still figuring out their chemistry and lineup arrangements, the Zags are running full-steam ahead in large part because they returned 10 players from last season's squad. That is in addition to Khalif Battle (14.3 points, 55.0% from 3) and Michael Ajayi (7.8 points, 6.8 rebounds) making an impact right away as newcomers.

Here’s a look at our third WCC power rankings of the season.

1. GONZAGA (4-0)

Last result: 80-67 W at San Diego State (11/18)
Big second-half performances from Ryan Nembhard (12.8 points, 10.0 assists) and Graham Ike (14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds) fueled the Bulldogs to an impressive double-digit victory on the road against an Aztecs program that hadn't lost a nonconference game at home since 2021. The seniors led the way down the stretch with 32 of the team's 40 total points after halftime, 14 of which came at the free-throw line. Gonzaga went 27-of-31 at the charity stripe. Mark Few and company now boast three wins over top 100 KenPom teams to start the season.

Next: Wednesday vs. Long Beach State (6 p.m., KHQ/ESPN+)

2. SAINT MARY’S (4-0)

Last result: 77-74 W vs. Nebraska (11/17)
Freshman guard Mikey Lewis (16.3 points, 52.2% from 3) continued his hot start to his college career as he led the Gaels with 23 points and knocked down clutch free throws in the final seconds of a narrow 3-point win over the Cornhuskers in South Dakota. Lewis earned both the WCC Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week awards. Saint Mary's knocked down a season-best 11 3-pointers and forced Nebraska into 15 turnovers, which led to 21 points the other way for Randy Bennett and company. Sophomore wing Paulius Murauskas (17.5 points, 11.3 rebounds) saw his double-double streak end, though he still chipped in 16 points and six boards. Through Nov. 19, the Gaels rank No. 4 in the country in offensive rebound rate (45.4%).

Next: Wednesday vs. Cal State Stanislaus (7 p.m., ESPN+)

3. SAN FRANCISCO (4-0)

Last result: 82-37 W vs. Chicago State (11/16)
The Dons took care of business in their tune-ups against Long Beach State and Chicago State ahead of their pivotal matchup with Memphis at the Chase Center. Freshman wing Tyrone Riley IV (19.5 points) currently ranks second in the league in points per game after he dropped 28 in the blowout win over the Cougars. The 6-foot-6 Californian also leads the WCC in field goal percentage (64.4%) and ranks among the top five players in 3-point field goal percentage.

Next: Thursday vs. Memphis (Chase Center; 7 p.m., ESPNU)

4. WASHINGTON STATE (4-1)

Last result: 83-69 W vs. Northern Colorado (11/18)
David Riley and the Cougars bounced back from their 76-66 loss to Iowa last Friday with a 14-point win over Big Sky foe Northern Colorado. Preseason All-WCC pick Cedric Coward (16.8 points, 6.6 rebounds) recorded a game-high 30 points and fueled a 19-7 scoring run to help WSU take the lead for good late in the second half. Junior guard Nate Calmese (16.8 points, 3.4 assists) scored 27 points in the loss to the Hawkeyes.

Next: Thursday vs. Eastern Washington (Spokane Arena; 6:30 p.m., SWX)

5. OREGON STATE (4-0)

Last result: 70-51 W vs. Cal State Fullerton (11/15)
An undefeated start to the season has the Beavers inside the top 100 of KenPom for the first time since late November of 2021. However their best win is currently a 76-48 triumph over Weber State (No. 234 in KenPom) on Nov. 8. Time will soon tell if Wayne Tinkle's squad is ready for a step-up in competition, as Oregon State and Oregon renew their Civil War rivalry on the hardwood in Corvallis, Oregon, later this week. Redshirt junior Nate Kingz (18.7 points, 63.3% from the field) is third in the league in scoring and field goal percentage.

Next: Thursday vs. Oregon (7 p.m., ESPN+)

6. SANTA CLARA (1-3)

Last result: 85-59 L at Nevada (11/16)
Coming off a puzzling overtime loss to North Dakota State, things might've went from bad to worse over the weekend for Herb Sendek and company. The Broncos dropped their third straight in blowout fashion, losing by 26 points on the road in a game in which they trailed 27-8 through 10 minutes of play. Santa Clara has struggled to defend the 3-point line early on this season. Per KenPom, the Broncos rank 349th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage allowed (42.1%). On the bright side, 6-foot-7 junior Elijah Mahi (16.8 points) has seemingly made the full transition from the JUCO to the Division-I level.

Next: Tuesday vs. UC Riverside (7 p.m., ESPN+)

7. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT (1-2)

Last result: 77-71 L at Saint Louis (11/16)
The Lions nearly overcame an 18-point halftime deficit, cutting the Billikens lead to just six in the second half before ultimately coming up short in the first true road test of the season. Senior guard Will Johnston (14.7 points, 4.3 assists) had 27 points to lead all players. Sophomore forward Aaron McBride (4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds) recorded a career-high five blocks, which means the 6-foot-6 Californian currently has the fourth-highest block rate (19.8%) in the country, according to KenPom.

Next: Friday vs. North Dakota (7 p.m., ESPN+)

8. PACIFIC (3-3)

Last result: 91-72 L at No. 18 Arkansas (11/18)
The Tigers hung in with a much more talented Razorbacks squad for longer than most people probably imagined going into the game. Pacific had a chance to tie the game at 59 apiece with 14 minutes left in regulation, though Arkansas created separation down the stretch to come away with a double-digit win. Still, the Tigers knocked down a season-high 12 3-pointers and got 42 points combined from 6-foot-6 junior Elias Ralph (17.7 points, 7.8 rebounds) and 6-foot-6 junior Elijah Fisher (17.7 points, 4.3 rebounds). On the other end of the floor, the Tigers rank among the top 10 in the country in 3-point field goal percentage allowed (23.0%).

Next: Friday at Missouri (4:30 p.m., ESPN+)

9. PEPPERDINE (1-2)

Last result: 80-62 L at UC Irvine (11/16)
The Waves had a 2-point lead at halftime but went cold from the 3-point line in the second half of their 18-point defeat to the Anteaters. Senior forward Stefan Todorovic (WCC-best 25.0 points) led the way once again with 17 points, while junior guard Moe Odum (13.3 points, 7.7 assists) had 12 points and eight assists. Boubacar Coulibaly (9.0 points, 6.7 rebounds) made an impact on both ends with 14 points, six rebounds and five blocks.

Next: Wednesday at UNLV (7 p.m., Mountain West Network)

10. PORTLAND (2-2)

Last result: 63-61 W at Long Beach State (11/16)
The Pilots earned their second victory of the season thanks to a big defensive stand from Austin Rapp (12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds) on Devin Askew in the final seconds of a nail-biter from Long Beach, California. The 6-foot-10 freshman also scored a team-high 18 points and made five 3-pointers. Portland nearly squandered another late lead like it did to Oregon last week, though Long Beach State's late push came up just short.

Next: Thursday vs. South Florida (Myrtle Beach Invitational, Conway, South Carolina; 11:30 a.m., ESPN2)

11. SAN DIEGO (1-3)

Last result: 78-66 L vs. Idaho State (11/16)
Graduate transfer Kody Clouet (10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds) scored 15 points in the Toreros' 12-point loss at home to the Bengals. San Diego has yet to shoot better than 47.5% from the field in a game this season.

Next: Friday vs. Southern Utah (7 p.m., ESPN+)

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after win at San Diego State

• Gonzaga’s Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard close out San Diego State: 3 takeaways

• 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracketology: Gonzaga reaffirms No. 1 seed in West Region

• Gonzaga up to No. 3 in Associated Press Top 25 poll

• Gonzaga's Khalif Battle throws down windmill dunk vs. UMass-Lowell

• Virginia transfer Jalen Warley on Gonzaga visit: ‘I’m really liking it’

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