NEW YORK (January 30, 2012 – http://www.gozags.com) – Gonzaga University’s men’s basketball team is back in the Associated Press Top 25 this week, checking in at No. 24.
The Bulldogs, 17-3 overall and 7-1 in the West Coast Conference, returned to the rankings after a two-week absence. Gonzaga was ranked as high as 19th this season.
Voters gave the Bulldogs 141 points, well ahead of No. 25 Vanderbilt University at 102 and well behind No. 23 Michigan State University with 305 points.
The Bulldogs face a major hurdle this week when they visit first-year WCC member BYU for the first time in school history. The Bulldogs hold a two-game lead in the loss column over the 6-3 Cougars, who lost to 10-0 league-leader Saint Mary’s College at home last Saturday as the Gaels swept the season series with the Cougars.
Gonzaga will face BYU Thursday at 8 p.m. PST on ESPN2, then travel to Pepperdine University Saturday prior to returning home for what appears to be one of the biggest games of the WCC season Feb. 9 when Saint Mary’s visits the McCarthey Athletic Center.
In the USPN/USA Today vote of coaches, the Bulldogs are the first team receiving votes with 68 points, three behind No. 25 University of Louisville.
The University of Kentucky holds the top spot in both polls, garnering 63 of the possible 65 first-place votes in the AP poll and all 31 votes in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25.
| AP Top 25 | |||
| RK | TEAM |
RECORD |
PTS |
| 1 | Kentucky (63) |
21-1 |
1,623 |
| 2 | Syracuse (2) |
22-1 |
1,550 |
| 3 | Ohio State |
19-3 |
1,498 |
| 4 | Missouri |
19-2 |
1,363 |
| 5 | North Carolina |
18-3 |
1,331 |
| 6 | Baylor |
19-2 |
1,310 |
| 7 | Duke |
18-3 |
1,250 |
| 8 | Kansas |
17-4 |
1,178 |
| 9 | Michigan State |
17-4 |
1,098 |
| 10 | Murray State |
21-0 |
979 |
| 11 | UNLV |
20-3 |
936 |
| 12 | Florida |
17-4 |
861 |
| 13 | Creighton |
20-2 |
803 |
| 14 | Georgetown |
16-4 |
762 |
| 15 | Marquette |
18-4 |
682 |
| 16 | Virginia |
17-3 |
578 |
| 17 | San Diego State |
18-3 |
566 |
| 18 | Saint Mary’s |
21-2 |
472 |
| 19 | Wisconsin |
17-5 |
415 |
| 20 | Indiana |
17-5 |
395 |
| 21 | Florida State |
14-6 |
375 |
| 22 | Mississippi State |
17-5 |
329 |
| 23 | Michigan |
16-6 |
305 |
| 24 | GONZAGA |
17-3 |
141 |
| 25 | Vanderbilt |
16-5 |
102 |
- Others receiving votes: Harvard 69, Louisville 65, Kansas State 40, West Virginia 12, Wichita State 9, Nevada 6, Notre Dame 6, Southern Miss 5, Long Beach State 3, Iowa State 3, Connecticut 2, Iona 2, Illinois 1
- Dropped from rankings: Kansas State 22, Connecticut 24