NCAA Basketball: Kentucky, Purdue, Wisconsin rise in latest top 25 power rankings

4. Gonzaga (3-0)

Recent years have taught us that it seems to only be a matter of time before Gonzaga claims a national championship. The Bulldogs have been an elite program in recent years, with sustained postseason success at the highest level in this sport. Even with new faces and other changes, they entered this season with great expectations and exceeded them with that opening night blowout over Baylor, but the season is more than one game.

Last Sunday, the Bulldogs were seriously challenged by Arizona State but did enough late in an 88-80 win. This wasn’t Gonzaga’s best defensive effort, but Braden Huff scored 21 points while Khalif Battle added 19 points in a solid win. The level of competition significantly dropped later in the week in a 113-54 win over UMass Lowell, smoking a decent mid-major from the East Coast. Virtually everyone on the roster factored into the win, with Battle’s 21-point effort leading the charge.

This Gonzaga team turned in three very different performances, but they already seem to know how to win. They survived an unexpected challenge from the Sun Devils and absolutely put on that clinic on opening night. It won’t be a surprise to see them blow out other nonconference foes as well as weak WCC competition. Their first big test outside Spokane comes very quickly, as they’ll head to San Diego State, hoping to avenge a loss from last season against the Aztecs.