NCAA Basketball: Alabama, Duke, Marquette rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
4. Gonzaga (5-0)
An unquestionable juggernaut in recent years, Gonzaga looks to keep pushing their program into prominence and have done a fantastic job of that in the first three weeks of this season. They’re decimation over Baylor on opening night still stands strong, while they’ve added a few other notable wins to their early total. These Bulldogs have to use this time of year wisely, as WCC play doesn’t present many challenges, and they are thriving so far.
The Bulldogs left home for the first time this week but found another victory, getting an 80-67 win at San Diego State on Monday night. Gonzaga avenged a home loss from last season, with Graham Ike contributing 23 points and 9 rebounds in the victory. Wednesday’s result was far less entertaining, with the Bulldogs winning 84-41 against Long Beach State and former head coach Dan Monson. Both Ike and Khalif Battle had 15 points in the win.
Some teams haven’t been significantly challenged yet this season. Gonzaga is not one of those teams. They destroyed Baylor and have a really solid road win over the Aztecs that should look even better later in the year. Mark Few is hoping that this team is ready for some of the greater challenges ahead, starting with the Battle 4 Atlantis next week, as Gonzaga has the talent to win this holiday tournament.