7. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Record: 11-2 (0-0 WCC)
Last Week: No. 7
After suffering back-to-back losses to Tennessee and North Carolina, Gonzaga needed to recover in a big way. And they did just that with blowout victories over Texas-Arlington (by 44 points) and Denver (by 61 points). Sure, these performances were not against elite competition but they still mean something. Unlike other years in the past, head coach Mark Few tested his team tremendously during this non-conference schedule and that should pay dividends on Selection Sunday.
Gonzaga is clearly one of the most talented teams in the roster and I would be shocked if they were not ranked in the top-10 for every single week this season. Even though the WCC is fairly strong this year, the Bulldogs are still clearly the best team with the best coach. They should roll through their in-conference competition as usual.
Perhaps most importantly, though, we are yet to see this Gonzaga team at its fullest potential. This is due to the fact that Killian Tillie, who is arguably the most important player on the roster, is yet to see the court this season due to injury. Once he recovers, the Bulldogs’ frontcourt will be so much better on both ends of the floor and that is a scary thought.