The Gonzaga Bulldogs just keep rolling.
After a pair of gritty in-state road wins, Mark Few’s squad has climbed to No. 8 in the latest AP Poll, leapfrogging Iowa State following the Cyclones’ recent stumble in Big 12 play. The Zags picked up 1,103 total points in the vote, and with the way they’ve been handling adversity, it’s easy to see why.
Let’s talk about the week that was. Gonzaga went on the road and handled business against Washington State in Pullman before heading west to Seattle and dominating the Redhawks.
And they did it short-handed. Missing both of their All-American forwards - Graham Ike (right ankle soreness) and Braden Huff (left knee injury) - the Zags didn’t flinch.
Instead, they leaned into their depth and versatility, and it paid off in a big way.
In Seattle, the Bulldogs absolutely owned the glass, outrebounding the Redhawks 44-24. That’s not just effort - that’s culture. That’s a group buying into the next-man-up mentality and executing it to perfection.
It was the tenth different starting lineup Gonzaga has used this season - eleven players have started at least once - and yet the cohesion didn’t skip a beat. Few went small, sliding 6-foot-7 senior wing Jalen Warley into the center spot, and the move worked. Warley’s length and mobility gave the Zags a different look, and it opened the floor for freshman point guard Mario Saint-Supery to go to work.
Saint-Supery was the engine, orchestrating the offense with poise well beyond his years. He repeatedly attacked with pick-and-roll action, setting up lob finishes and creating open looks. His control of the tempo was a big reason why Gonzaga cruised to a 71-50 win at Climate Pledge Arena.
While the Zags were taking care of business, their WCC rivals stumbled. Saint Mary’s dropped a tough one to Santa Clara, falling 62-54 in a Bay Area showdown. That result gave Gonzaga sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference standings - a familiar spot for a program that’s made domination in January feel routine.
Nationally, the Zags are climbing the rankings across the board. In the NCAA’s NET rankings, they’ve moved up to No. 4 - a strong indicator of how they’re performing against quality competition.
They’re now 3-1 in Quad 1 games and a perfect 5-0 in Quad 2. That’s the kind of resume that earns high seeds in March.
KenPom has Gonzaga sitting at No. 6 overall, with a top-10 rating on both sides of the ball - No. 8 in offensive efficiency and No. 9 on defense. That balance has been a hallmark of Few’s best teams, and this year’s group is starting to show signs it belongs in that conversation.
Other advanced metrics back it up. Bart Torvik has the Bulldogs at No. 10, while EvanMiya places them at No. 9, putting them firmly back into the top-10 across multiple analytical models. Most bracket projections still have Gonzaga holding steady on the No. 2 seed line - right where you want to be heading into the back half of conference play.
Next up, the Bulldogs return to Spokane for a matchup with Pepperdine on Wednesday night. The Kennel will be rocking - it’ll be the students’ first home game since early December - and all eyes will be on the status of Graham Ike, whose ankle injury is being monitored day-to-day. Whether he suits up or not, this Gonzaga team has shown it can adapt, adjust, and keep winning.
At 19-1 and undefeated in WCC play, the Zags are reminding everyone that, once again, they’re a force to be reckoned with.