Gonzaga is back in familiar territory in the preseason AP Top 25, even with a roster that looks nothing like the one fans saw a year ago.
The Bulldogs landed at No. 15 in Monday morning’s release, earning 637 votes and extending their streak to 17 straight preseason AP Top 25 appearances. That puts Gonzaga in a small club with Duke, Kansas and Kentucky, the only other programs to show up in the poll that many years running.
The ranking comes with plenty of turnover attached. Mark Few’s team is entering a new-look conference with only two returners from last season’s rotation: senior big man Braden Huff and sophomore wing Davis Fogle. Around them is a fresh cast that includes Arizona State transfer center Massamba Diop, Houston transfer wing Isiah Harwell and, if he maintains his eligibility, Florida transfer point guard Xaivian Lee.
That group gives Gonzaga a foundation that stacks up with just about anyone. Huff and Fogle can carry the scoring load, Lee and Harwell bring perimeter defense, and Diop anchors the rim.
The biggest question is the outside shooting, though the Bulldogs do have help waiting in reserve. Dayton transfer Javon Bennett, Florida State transfer Chauncey Wiggins and incoming freshman Luca Foster give Gonzaga options off the bench. Bennett is eligible after the Ohio Supreme Court reversed the NCAA’s stay request, while Wiggins remains ineligible because the lawsuit in Georgia is still stayed.
There’s more uncertainty here than Gonzaga is used to, but the top-15 placement still makes sense. The talent level is obvious, and Few has built a career on getting a group to come together as the season rolls on.
The schedule will give the Zags no shortage of tests. Non-conference play includes ranked games against Duke at No. 2, Michigan State at No. 6 and UCLA at No. 22, plus Purdue, which collected 53 votes and sits 28th in the poll.
Gonzaga will also see No. 12 Arkansas in Fayetteville in an exhibition game on Oct.
- In the second game of the Player’s Era Festival, the Bulldogs could run into No.
20 Alabama. For the third game, the options include No.
14 Miami and No. 16 Michigan, along with TCU, which received 17 votes, and Creighton, which did not receive any votes.
Two teams Gonzaga will face twice in Pac-12 regular-season play also showed up in the voting. Utah State received two votes, and former WCC rival Santa Clara got one.
The Arkansas exhibition is set for 1:00 PM PT on Saturday, Oct. 24, and will air on SECN+.
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Now he gets another shot with Phoenix, which moved quickly to claim him off waivers and add him to its final two-way contract spot. The fit gives Timme a fresh opportunity to impress a new staff while likely spending time between the Suns and their G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, and it sets up the next test in a career that has stayed alive by persistence as much as pedigree. [Read more 🡒]
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Graham Ike is also poised to enter that mix, expected to make his NBA debut with the Golden State Warriors on a two-way deal. At the same time, the Gonzaga alumni list looks a little different than it did a year ago, with Brandon Clarke's death over the summer and Kelly Olynyk taking his game overseas to BC Roma after his final NBA stint with the San Antonio Spurs. [Read more 🡒]