NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Illinois rises, Dayton keeps impressing

There are only two teams that I consider to be in the “elite tier” at this point in the college basketball season: Gonzaga and Baylor.

With that said, Bulldogs’ fans should be not too upset with this placement in the No. 2 spot this week. This team has proven time and time again that it belongs among the best in the nation and anyone that stays up late to watch them would understand this. The Bulldogs pass the eye-test with flying colors in just about every game.

Gonzaga once again features the best offense in the entire nation and that is entirely due to their ability to dominate both inside and out. In fact, the Bulldogs rank third nationally in 2P% (56.8%) and seventh in 3P% (39.1%). Those are just raw percentages (not opponent-adjusted) and prove that this team is exceptionally dangerous from anywhere on the court. While I still have my concerns regarding Gonzaga’s free-throw shooting, its offense should be considered second-to-none in the nation.

The Bulldogs might not be regarded as the best defensive team in the country but they can definitely hold their own on that end of the floor. Most importantly, there are no clear-cut gaps in their defense. Gonzaga protects the paint well, clears the defensive glass, avoids fouling, and doesn’t surrender a ton of open 3-point attempts. All of this was evident last week as Gonzaga held BYU’s Top 10 offense to just 69 total points.

Gonzaga is darn good. Again. Get used to it.