After a strong 2-0 week, highlighted by a gritty 94-86 road win over Santa Clara, Gonzaga continues its climb up the national ladder. The Bulldogs now sit at No. 11 in the latest AP Poll, inching closer to the top 10 as they reassert their dominance in the West Coast Conference. With a 25-2 overall record and a 13-1 mark in WCC play, they’ve reclaimed the top spot in the league standings-and they’re not just winning, they’re winning with purpose.
That victory over Santa Clara wasn’t just another notch in the win column. It was a statement.
Beating a tough conference opponent on the road in February is exactly the kind of performance that Selection Committees remember. And with just under four weeks until Selection Sunday, Gonzaga is positioning itself nicely.
Most bracketology projections have the Zags slotted as a No. 3 or No. 4 seed, which speaks volumes about how the committee views their résumé.
Dig a little deeper into the metrics, and the numbers back up the eye test. In the NCAA's NET rankings-a key tool used by the selection committee-Gonzaga has surged to No. 6, thanks in part to a 6-1 record in Quad 1 games.
That’s elite company. These are the kinds of wins that separate real contenders from teams just hoping to make a run.
KenPom, another trusted advanced analytics source, also has the Bulldogs trending upward. They’ve cracked the top 10 there as well, now sitting at No. 10 overall with a top-20 offense (No. 19) and a stingy defense ranked No.
- That kind of balance is what makes this team so dangerous.
They’re not leaning too heavily on one side of the ball-they can beat you in multiple ways.
And it’s not just the traditional rankings that are taking notice. EvanMiya, a data-driven model that evaluates team efficiency and player impact, has also bumped Gonzaga back into the top 10. That’s a sign of how well-rounded this squad has become down the stretch.
Next up: a trip to the Bay Area. Gonzaga heads to the Chase Center for a showdown with the San Francisco Dons this Wednesday, February 18.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
It’s another road test, and another opportunity for the Bulldogs to keep building momentum as March approaches.
The Zags are heating up at the right time-and everyone’s starting to take notice.