NCAA Basketball top 25 power rankings: UCLA and Kentucky rise, Kansas falls
By Joey Loose
2. Gonzaga (17-2)
It was shocking news nearly two months ago when Duke and Alabama both beat Gonzaga, especially after these Bulldogs marched to the national championship game with a perfect record last season. This year, Gonzaga’s focus is finishing the job, and it certainly looks like those two losses are far in the rearview mirror. We all expected separation between Gonzaga and the rest of the WCC, as per usual, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen.
Their first game of this past week was a Thursday night laughter against Loyola Marymount, pulling out an 89-55 win over the Lions. Gonzaga shot really well, as they often do, and got 21 points and 9 rebounds from Chet Holmgren. Another easy win came Saturday night, with a 104-72 decision over Portland. This time Andrew Nembhard led the way with his 22 points, though it was a balanced and efficient scoring effort from the Bulldogs.
This Gonzaga team is deep and talented, and they’re proving it by mashing their WCC opponents on a regular basis, winning their first six conference games all by at least 16 points (four of them by 30+). Don’t expect too much of a challenge in the future, but expect Holmgren, Drew Timme, and the rest of this star-studded lineup to continue to shine. Next week is technically a bit trickier, with road games at San Diego and BYU; can the Cougars offer some resistance to this team?