8. Gonzaga (9-1)
It’s another season and unsurprisingly Gonzaga is right here among the contenders once again. Mark Few assembled another talented roster with all sorts of talent and it’s been on full display, especially with those recent wins over Alabama and Kentucky. A mind-boggling stinker against Michigan remains the only blemish though the Bulldogs are working hard to make that a distant memory.
Soon after that blowout over Kentucky, Gonzaga was back in action last Sunday with a 109-58 win over North Florida. Braden Huff again emerged with 24 points and 7 rebounds as the team shot 61% from the floor. The team headed to Seattle on Saturday and took care of business, persevering 82-72 against UCLA. Graham Ike scored 25 points in a great performance while Huff added 21 points to cap off his week.
This was Gonzaga’s last big chance to prove themselves and this battle-tested team has certainly succeeded. The Bulldogs have played eight power conference foes and won all but one of those contests, with some fantastic wins along the way. This isn’t actually their last big test, but they should be heavy favorites over Campbell and then face Oregon before WCC play starts.