I know they mean nothing, but preseason polls sure are fun; especially when you find your team in the top 15. The recently released ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll has slated the Zags as the 12th best team in the country as we wait for the season to begin in a few weeks.
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To be quite honest with you, these rankings really don't mean much because there are so many question marks once you get past the first three teams. It is my opinion that those top three of Duke, Michigan State, and Kansas State are the best looking teams on paper. Then you drop down and that range of teams from 4-15 is a total crapshoot and could be flipped around after two or three weeks of the season. Everyone has question marks. Many have freshman that need to step up for them to be relevant (Ohio State, North Carolina, Kentucky), some just need one or two returners to step up and fill a void (Pitt, Nova, Florida, Gonzaga).
There is going to be a lot of movement early on and throughout the season as even those upper-tier teams aren't invincible. For Gonzaga, this is an adaquate ranking. You could have placed them anywhere from 6-14 and I wouldn't have been surprised. There are a few teams I think the Zags are better than but there are a few that lurk deeper in the rankings that could make serious runs.
One interesting thing to note, is that Gonzaga's first big opponent, San Diego St. is just on the outside looking in at #26.
Think about it, by Thanksgiving we could possibly have already played #26, #3, and #1. The Zags have a lot of questions...those should provide some answers.