Gonzaga No. 1 in the Preseason AP Poll

For the second consecutive season, the Gonzaga Bulldogs will open as the No. 1 team in the country according to the AP Top 25, comfortably beating out a familiar foe in the UCLA Bruins who come in at No. 2 and whom the Zags will play in Las Vegas on November 23 in a rematch of last season’s thrilling Final Four win. The Bruins are the only other team that received first place votes.

The Bulldogs become just the sixth program to achieve preseason No. 1 status in consecutive seasons after going wire to wire last season:

Boasting a preseason favorite for Player of the Year in Drew Timme, the nation’s top high school recruit in Chet Holmgren, and a seasoned senior point guard in Andrew Nembhard, it’s easy to see why the voters love Gonzaga heading into the season.

College fans will be treated to a top 5 showdown with Texas, who will have a new coach in Chris Beard to go along with its lofty ranking. Another non-conference opponent lands in the Top 10 as well with Duke at No. 9. BYU does not open the season in the Top 25, but did get a handful of votes.

Here is what what the entire Top 25 looks like: