College basketball rankings: Gonzaga holds top-two spot in Top 25 And 1 after another blowout victory
Fri, Jan 28, 2022
NCAAB News (AP)
Another night, another blowout for Gonzaga. That's nine straight for the Zags.
"We've got five people on the floor who can score at all times," Gonzaga freshman Chet Holmgren told reporters after Thursday night's 89-55 win over Loyola Marymount inside the McCarthey Athletic Center. "Everybody is a threat."
That makes it seem like nobody in the West Coast Conference is a threat to the Zags, which are now 5-0 in the WCC with all five wins coming by at least 16 points. Their average margin of victory in league games is 28.4 points per game. They've now won 26 consecutive WCC games dating back to the 2019-20 season.
So is Gonzaga about to go undefeated in the WCC again?
Perhaps - but it does still have trips to BYU, San Francisco and Saint Mary's left on the schedule. The Zags will be favored in each contest, obviously, but any of those games could theoretically get tricky and result in a loss.
Either way, Gonzaga is well on its way to securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in a five-tournament span - and it would be for the fifth time in a six-tournament span if not for a global pandemic leading to the cancelation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament. It really is incredible stuff from one of the nation's best programs.
Gonzaga remains No. 2 in Friday morning's updated AP Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, one spot behind top-ranked Auburn. The Zags' next game is Saturday against Portland. KenPom projects them as 30-point winners.
Itching for more college hoops analysis? Listen below and subscribe to the Eye on College Basketball podcast where we take you beyond the hardwood with insider information and instant reactions.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers| Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn is 9-1 in the first two quadrants and on a 16-game winning streak. The Tigers' next game is Saturday against Oklahoma. | -- | 19-1 | ||
| Gonzaga has won nine straight games since losing to Alabama. The Zags' next game is Saturday against Portland. | -- | 16-2 | ||
| Baylor leads the nation with seven Quadrant 1 wins and is 10-2 in the first two quadrants. The Bears' next game is Saturday at Alabama. | -- | 18-2 | ||
| Kansas is 10-2 in the first two quadrants with wins over Michigan State and Texas Tech. The Jayhawks' next game is Saturday against Kentucky. | -- | 17-2 | ||
| UCLA is 7-2 in the first two quadrants thanks to a five-game winning streak highlighted by a victory over Arizona. The Bruins' next game is Saturday against Stanford. | -- | 15-2 | ||
| Arizona is 6-2 in the first two quadrants with the losses coming at Tennessee and at UCLA. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against Arizona State. | -- | 16-2 | ||
| Houston's nine-game winning streak features seven double-digit victories. The Cougars' next game is Saturday at UCF. | -- | 17-2 | ||
| Purdue is 7-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Villanova and Illinois. The Boilermakers' next game is Sunday against Ohio State. | -- | 17-3 | ||
| Kentucky is 5-4 in the first two quadrants with all four losses coming in Quadrant 1 games away from home. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday at Kansas. | -- | 16-4 | ||
| Wisconsin is 10-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Purdue, Houston, Ohio State and Marquette. The Badgers' next game is Sunday against Minnesota. | -- | 16-3 | ||
| Villanova is 8-1 in its past nine games with the lone loss in that stretch coming to Marquette. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against St. John's. | -- | 15-5 | ||
| Michigan State is 10-2 in its past 12 games with a win over Wisconsin and losses to Northwestern and Illinois. The Spartans' next game is Saturday against Michigan. | -- | 15-4 | ||
| Texas Tech is 6-5 in the first two quadrants with all five losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Red Raiders' next game is Saturday against Mississippi State. | -- | 15-5 | ||
| Duke is 5-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Gonzaga and Kentucky and losses to Miami and Florida State. The Blue Devils' next game is Saturday at Louisville. | -- | 16-3 | ||
| Providence's 4-1 Quadrant 1 record includes wins over Wisconsin and Texas Tech. The Friars' next game is Sunday against Marquette. | -- | 17-2 | ||
| LSU is 3-3 since losing Xavier Pinson to a knee injury that he's expected to return from soon. The Tigers' next game is Saturday at TCU. | -- | 16-4 | ||
| Marquette is 8-6 in the first two quadrants and on a seven-game winning streak highlighted by victories over Villanova and Xavier. The Golden Eagles' next game is Sunday at Providence. | 1 | 15-6 | ||
| Ohio State is 5-4 in the first two quadrants with zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Buckeyes' next game is Sunday at Purdue. | 1 | 13-4 | ||
| Tennessee's 6-5 record in the first two quadrants includes zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Vols' next game is Saturday at Texas. | 2 | 14-5 | ||
| UConn is 4-4 in the first two quadrants and the only team with a win over Auburn. The Huskies' next game is Saturday at DePaul. | 2 | 14-4 | ||
| Iowa State is 6-4 in Quadrant 1 with wins over Texas Tech and Xavier. The Cyclones' next game is Saturday against Missouri. | 2 | 15-5 | ||
| Colorado State is 4-1 in the first two quadrants with the lone loss coming at San Diego State. The Rams' next game is Friday against UNLV. | 2 | 16-1 | ||
| BYU is 9-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Saint Mary's, San Diego State, San Francisco and Oregon. The Cougars' next game is Saturday at Pacific. | 3 | 17-5 | ||
| Xavier is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Ohio State and Marquette. The Musketeers' next game is Saturday at Creighton. | 1 | 14-5 | ||
| Illinois is 6-5 in the first two quadrants with a win over Michigan State. The Illini's next game is Saturday at Northwestern. | 1 | 14-5 | ||
| Texas is 6-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Longhorns' next game is Saturday against Tennessee. | NR | 15-5 |
