12. Gonzaga (23-2)
The Bulldogs did exactly what they were supposed to by winning a ton of solid games during nonconference play. However, a bunch of those teams have really underwhelmed and maybe Gonzaga’s resume isn’t as great as we once thought. Still, despite some close calls, Gonzaga has really been humming along against the WCC, especially after last weekend’s great win over Saint Mary’s.
Disaster struck on Wednesday night as the Bulldogs shockingly fell 87-80 at Portland. Graham Ike had 24 points and 10 rebounds but the Pilots pulled the upset thanks to some great shooting. Fortunately Gonzaga shook off the cobwebs and got back on top, winning 81-61 at Oregon State on Saturday. Ike starred once again with a 35-point performance to get Gonzaga back in the win column.
The record is great and Gonzaga is still in pole position with an 11-1 mark in the WCC, but that performance in Portland was very disturbing. Is that showing a bad omen about what could happen to these Bulldogs further down the line? We know that Ike remains one of the best frontcourt weapons in the nation but we’ll have to see how motivated this team is for the rest of conference play. They’ll host Washington State before another challenge on the road against Santa Clara.