The performance of the Gonzaga Bulldogs to start WCC play has not impressed voters for The Associated Press’ weekly Top 25 men’s basketball poll.
The Zags dropped a spot to No. 8 in Monday’s new rankings despite a 4-0 start in conference action.
Sunday: No. 7 Gonzaga cruises past Loyola Marymount 82-47
Gonzaga has beaten Pepperdine, San Diego, Seattle U and Loyola Marymount since the last AP poll was released on Dec. 21, but it had some struggles in the two middle games. San Diego cut a 21-point Zags lead inside of the final 10 minutes down to as little as five points by the end of the game on Dec. 30, and Gonzaga had to storm back from a 13-point deficit at home against Seattle U on Friday to avoid an upset, eventually forcing overtime and winning 80-72.
Atop the rankings, Arizona held on to No. 1 by a single point over fast-closing Michigan, making it one of the closest races for the top spot in the 78-year history of the men’s college basketball poll.
The Wildcats received 32 of 61 first-place votes and had 1,494 points, while the Wolverines scooped up the other 29 first-place votes from the national media panel. The one-point difference kept the first poll of 2026 from becoming the second ever with a tie for No. 1; Oregon State and Virginia shared the top spot on on Jan. 26, 1981.
Arizona has been on top for the last five polls, but the Wolverines have been able to make up ground, thanks in part to becoming the first team in the poll era to win three consecutive games against ranked opponents by at least 30 points apiece. Michigan was 20 points behind Arizona in the last poll.
The Wolverines have not been No. 1 since Jan. 28, 2013, and that stint lasted just one week.
The top six remained unchanged Monday from the final poll of 2025: Arizona and Michigan were followed by undefeated Iowa State, UConn, Purdue and Duke, while Houston jumped Gonzaga and BYU and Nebraska rounded out the top 10.
This post includes contributions from The Associated Press.
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