Gonzaga tops Baylor in preseason AP poll
Just about the only thing Gonzaga has left to accomplish under head coach Mark Few is win a national championship.
The Zags scratched another first off the list Monday: They will open the season at No. 1.
Despite losing West Coast Conference Player of the Year Filip Petrusev, the Bulldogs received 28 firstplace votes and 1,541 points from a 64member national media panel. That was just enough to edge Baylor ( 24 firstplace votes) by a single point for the top spot in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 heading toward the delayed Nov. 25 start of the season.
“It’s a great honor to be selected No. 1,” Few said. “We understand that it is more a reflection of what our program has accomplished over the years and hope to play up to that standard as we start our season.”
Villanova received 11 firstplace votes and was third, followed by Virginia with the remaining firstplace vote. Iowa was picked fifth behind national player of the year frontrunner Luka Garza, its highest preseason ranking in school history.
Then came a wave of bluebloods with Kansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Duke and Kentucky completing the top 10.
The Bulldogs spent four weeks at No. 1 last season before finishing second to the Jayhawks in the final poll, which was taken when the NCAA Tournament was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic.
Petrusev’s choice to play professionally in Serbia and then enter the draft was a blow, but the Bulldogs still have the potential to win it all. Corey Kispert and Joel Ayayi provide scoring punch and the arrival of potential oneanddone guard Jalen Suggs should steady their backcourt.
The Zags certainly scheduled like title contenders. They open Nov. 26 against Kansas at the Fort Myers TipOff, where they also will play Auburn, and face Baylor in Indianapolis and Iowa in Sioux Falls, S. D.
The Bears, who also have their highest preseason ranking, spent five weeks at No. 1 last season and lost only one starter in big man Freddie Gillespie. Head coach Scott Drew could have the nation’s best backcourt in Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague, the best defender in Mark Vital and depth behind top100 recruit L. J. Cryer and transfer Adam Flagler.
The Bears also built a brutal schedule, playing Illinois and potentially Villanova in the Empire Classic along with Gonzaga.
“I think it starts with experience,” Drew said. “Whenever you return a lot of players that were successful, in a season that got moved back and a short summer, you’re definitely benefited from having guys that have college experience.”
The Wildcats, who matched their highest preseason ranking at No. 3 in 199596, harbored hope that Saddiq Bey would return for another season. But despite losing the versatile forward to the NBA, head coach Jay Wright still has guard Collin Gillespie, doubledouble machine Jeremiah RobinsonEarl and solid starter Jermaine Samuels.
After backtoback 30win seasons and a national title, Virginia took a slight step back last season, going 237 before the season was called off. Head coach Tony Bennett’s team should again be an ACC favorite behind Marquette transfer Sam Hauser, top100 prospects Reece Beekman and Jabri AbdurRahim, and the Cavs’ lockdown defense.
Kansas lost Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike from a team that was the likely No. 1 overall seed had the NCAA Tournament been played, but it returns enough firepower to give Baylor a challenge in the Big 12.
Wisconsin and Illinois join the Hawkeyes in giving the Big Ten some fresh flavor atop the poll. Young and rebuilding Duke and Kentucky could take some lumps early in the season but could be championship contenders by March.
“We understand that it is more a reflection of what our program has accomplished over the years and hope to play up to that standard.” Mark Few, Gonzaga head coach
Stanford schedule: Set to tip off Nov. 25 on the opening day of the season, Stanford on Monday announced four home nonconference games to go along with the previously announced Maui Invitational, held this season in Asheville, N. C.
“We are excited to have put together a competitive schedule this year,” Stanford head coach Jerod Haase said in a statement. “There were obvious challenges with completing this, but we are excited to face off against many highquality opponents at home and in the Maui Invitational.”
Stanford will open the nonconference slate with Utah Valley on Nov. 25, a homecoming for former Cardinal forward and UVU head coach Mark Madsen. The game with the Wolverines leads into the Maui Invitational, held Nov. 30Dec. 2 at Asheville’s Harrah’s Cherokee Center. Stanford opens the event against Alabama on Nov. 30, and the entire tournament will be carried on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.
Three home games wrap up the nonconference schedule, with Cal Poly ( Dec. 7), Loyola Marymount ( Dec. 9) and Sacramento State ( Dec. 21) each visiting Maples Pavilion to close 2020.