Gonzaga ranked 15th in final AP Top 25 poll

Following this system’s ninth-straight look within the Candy 16, the Gonzaga Bulldogs completed the 2023-24 season ranked fifteenth within the AP High 25 ballot launched Tuesday.

The Zags (27-8, 14-2 WCC) moved up three spots from the earlier ballot that was launched simply after Choice Sunday. Because the 5-seed within the Midwest Area, they throttled 12-seed McNeese State, 86-65, within the first spherical of the NCAA Match adopted by an 89-68 win over 4-seed Kansas within the second spherical. The 21-point victories despatched the Bulldogs to the Candy 16 for the ninth-straight postseason, the longest energetic streak within the nation.

Regardless of a loss to 1-seed Purdue in Detroit, Michigan, the 2023-24 marketing campaign was one in every of Mark Few’s most spectacular shows of teaching in his profession. After an 11-5 begin, many prognosticators and so-called consultants doubted Gonzaga’s possibilities of even qualifying for the Massive Dance. That’s, till it received 14 of its remaining 16 video games earlier than Choice Sunday in a stretch that included highway wins over Kentucky, San Francisco and Saint Mary’s. 

Total, Gonzaga completed the season with three wins over AP High 25 groups (Kansas, Kentucky and Saint Mary’s) in comparison with 4 losses (UConn, Purdue and Saint Mary’s twice).

The ultimate AP Ballot from Tuesday marked the eighth-straight season with a rating of fifteenth or higher within the remaining ballot and it was the 14th look for the season. Gonzaga additionally completed within the high 25 on KenPom (twelfth), Bart Torvik (twelfth), Haslametrics (eighth) and the NET (seventeenth).

The 2-time reigning nationwide champion UConn Huskies sat atop the ballot following their 75-60 win over No. 2 Purdue within the nationwide championship on Monday night time. Alabama, which reached the Remaining 4 as a 4-seed, and Houston tied for the No. 3 spot, adopted by Tennessee at No. 5. The Crimson Tide noticed the most important rise of any workforce from the earlier ballot after they went from nineteenth to third.

No. 10 NC State was the most important riser general after it went from unranked to the highest 10 with a magical run to the Remaining 4 led by 6-foot-9 publish DJ Burns. The Wolfpack went on an inconceivable nine-game successful streak, together with 5 wins in 5 days to safe the ACC Match championship and an computerized bid into the NCAA Match.

Auburn was the most important fallers after it was upset by Yale within the first spherical of the match. The defeat dropped the Tigers from No. 7 to No. 18.

Saint Mary’s plummeted to No. 21 following its opening-round loss to Grand Canyon. It’s the third straight season Randy Bennett’s group completed the season within the high 25. West Coast Convention newcomer Washington State moved as much as No. 23 for the college’s first look within the remaining version of the AP Ballot for the reason that 2007-08 season.

Right here’s the remainder of the AP High 25:

1. UConn (37-3, 18-2 Massive East)
2. Purdue (34-5, 17-3 Massive Ten)
3. Alabama (25-12, 13-5 SEC)
3. Houston (32-5, 15-3 Massive 12)
5. Tennessee (27-9, 14-4 SEC)
6. Illinois (29-9, 14-6 Massive Ten)
7. North Carolina (29-8, 17-3 ACC)
8. Iowa State (29-8, 13-5 Massive 12)
9. Duke (27-9, 15-5 ACC)
10. NC State (26-15, Sept. 11 ACC)
11. Arizona (27-9, 15-5 Pac-12)
12. Marquette (27-10, 14-6 Massive East)
13. Creighton (25-10, 14-6 Massive East)
14. Clemson (24-12, 11-9 ACC)
15. Gonzaga (27-8, 14-2 WCC)
16. Baylor (24-11, 11-7 Massive 12)
17. San Diego State (26-11, 11-7 MWC)
18. Auburn (27-8, 13-5 SEC)
19. Kansas (23-11 10-8 Massive 12)
20. Kentucky (23-10, 13-5 SEC)
21. Saint Mary’s (26-8, 15-1 WCC)
22. Utah State (28-7, 14-4 MWC)
23. Washington State (25-10, 14-6 Pac-12)
24. South Carolina (26-8, 13-5 SEC)
25. Dayton (25-8, 14-4 A10)