Mid-major Basketball power rankings: Gonzaga, SDSU and Dayton dominates
3. Dayton Flyers
2019-20 record: 17-2 (6-0 in Atlantic 10)
After taking care of VCU without issue, it looked as if Dayton was going to suffer their first loss in A-10 play last win on the road at Saint Louis. The Flyers were down by double-digits in the second half before Obi Toppin and Jalen Crutcher led the comeback into overtime, before Crutcher nailed the game-winner three-pointer to win the game. Dayton’s offense is so good that a 10-minute span is good enough to overcome 30 minutes of struggles. They’ll be tested in the next few days, with road matchups against both Richmond and Duquesne.
2. San Diego State Aztecs
2019-20 record: 20-0 (9-0 in Mountain West)
Ever since the scare against San Jose State to start conference play, San Diego State hasn’t had a real 40-minute challenge since. The closest came recently against Nevada, trailing at the half. But even if the offense isn’t going for the Aztecs, their top-5 scoring defense will do just fine. They held the Wolf Pack to just 20 second-half points for another double-digit win. But their unbeaten run will be tested in the next 10 days, with matchups against UNLV, New Mexico and Utah State.
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs
2019-20 record: 20-1 (6-0 in WCC)
The two close calls to start conference play must have been a wakeup call, as Gonzaga has won the past four games by at least 23 points. That includes a 50-point drubbing over a top-100 Santa Clara team, while recently shooting over 70% in the second half to race by BYU while leading scorer Filip Petrusev was out with an ankle injury.
Although the team took a hit with forward Anton Watson out for the season after undergoing shoulder injury, the remaining seven rotation players form the top scoring offense in the country. Admon Gilder, Ryan Woolridge, and Killian Tillie are the healthiest they’ve been in months, while Corey Kispert has become one of the best pure shooters in the country.
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Gonzaga was taken off the No. 1 overall ranking by Baylor this week and San Diego State is starting to make a case that they should be the top “mid-major” team in the country instead of the Bulldogs. But make no mistake, this team is a true national title contender. They might not be as good as last year’s squad but Gonzaga is just as, if not better than any other team this season.