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The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the No. 3 team in the nation according to the AP Preseason Poll. It is the highest opening ranking in school history.
Preseason AP Poll
| rank | team | points |
|---|---|---|
| rank | team | points |
| 1 | Kansas (37) | 1581 |
| 2 | Kentucky (19) | 1529 |
| 3 | Gonzaga (1) | 1461 |
| 4 | Duke (4) | 1452 |
| 5 | Virginia (2) | 1286 |
| 6 | Tennessee (1) | 1268 |
| 7 | Nevada | 1230 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 1221 |
| 9 | Villanova (1) | 1085 |
| 10 | Michigan State | 1024 |
| 11 | Auburn | 974 |
| 12 | Kansas State | 922 |
| 13 | West Virginia | 678 |
| 14 | Oregon | 638 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 630 |
| 16 | Syrcause | 620 |
| 17 | Florida State | 530 |
| 18 | Mississippi State | 451 |
| 19 | Michigan | 437 |
| 20 | TCU | 311 |
| 21 | UCLA | 297 |
| 22 | Clemson | 268 |
| 23 | LSU | 187 |
| 24 | Purdue | 170 |
| 25 | Washington | 165 |
The Zags even secured a first place vote, one of seven teams (hello Villanova) to do so. The preseason poll also showcases the difficulty of Gonzaga’s non-conference slate. The Zags will for sure face No. 6 Tennessee, No. 8 North Carolina, and No. 25 Washington, and, depending on how the Maui Invitational shakes out, either No. 4 Duke or No. 11 Auburn. That also isn’t counting the possibility of games against Arizona (receiving votes).
But let us just focus on the fun part here. This is the first time the Zags have opened the season ranked within the top-5, and therefore, ranked within the top-3. This is the first time the Zags have opened the season with a first-place vote. This is the highest preseason ranking in school history, beating out a 2005-06 squad, led by none other than Adam Morrison, who began the season ranked No. 8 in the nation.
This year is going to be fun. Now commence the rest of the average joe-schmoes around the nation having their Monday ruined because Gonzaga is ranked so high.