Could this happen?

[B-hamZag]

So I looked at the polls today, espn #10 not bad at all, in fact I love it! My question is if we win out could we see are selves ranked #1 at some point this year? Everyone above us are in tough leagues, making me think everyone of them will loose at least once. If we win out without any injuries (knock on wood), the other teams ranked above us fall in the polls at the right time, and throw in a little luck I think it could happen. Let me say if it does happen I dont think we will get a one seed at all in the tournament but as a #1 ranking I think there is a chance!

Go zags

[Zagnailler]

No way Jose

Duke

[GUDan07]

In a word? No. Gonzaga lacks the strength of schedule from here on out to garner a number 1 ranking no matter what we do the rest of the way. Not to mention the fact that we just aren't better that the likes of Kentucky, Kansas, Syracuse...

[LongIslandZagFan]

So I looked at the polls today, espn #10 not bad at all, in fact I love it! My question is if we win out could we see are selves ranked #1 at some point this year? Everyone above us are in tough leagues, making me think everyone of them will loose at least once. If we win out without any injuries (knock on wood), the other teams ranked above us fall in the polls at the right time, and throw in a little luck I think it could happen. Let me say if it does happen I dont think we will get a one seed at all in the tournament but as a #1 ranking I think there is a chance!

Go zags

Kentucky, Texas and possibly Syracuse would have to implode. They will be able to stay top 10 with a loss unless it is against a conference bottom feeder.

[Colbyspapa]

I think the highest we could hope to have by the end of the regular season would be a 6 or so. That Duke loss is such a black eye on an otherwise impressive season so far. Wake doesn't help our cause either as it was at home.

[bartruff1]

Anything can happen till it can't happen....but not likely...

[Nevtelen]

If by winning out, you mean winning the National Championship, then yes. If you mean besides that, no.

Short of an undefeated season, GU will never get a #1 ranking I don't think, mainly because by the time we have had a chance to impress, some BCS schools that have been hyped preseason have gotten off to strong starts playing bad to middling schedules and by the time we're in conference, those same schools are playing good or great competition while we're playing the weaker portion of our schedule. Even if we go undefeated in the WCC, it's not viewed as stiff enough competition to vault more than a 5 or so unless everyone above us (and those teams that replace them) lose repeatedly. So it would take a perfect storm that will probably never happen.

[Zag365]

If we "win out" through the regular season - still not a given -- I think it unlikely we crack the AP top 10 unless there are a lot of serious, multiple losses by other teams.

For GU to stay in the top 10 to 15 is also right where we belong as you survey the field, IMHO. I think the AP writers have us fairly ranked.

As for the coaches poll, I take the #10 ranking (as opposed to last week's #14) to be partly a tribute to Coach Few for his ability to mold a new team of young-uns into a serious S16/E8 contender despite a tough schedule. I think any coach who sees another coach (Few) take his team from a debacle against Duke to rebounding (pun intended) by beating EWU (a crosstown rival with upset ambitions), OU (during vacation, not in Kennel, albeit in Spokane), and ILL on national TV in Chicago (after a long flight, short prep, and a huge, hostile crowd), followed by three straight road wins against two (and maybe three) of the top teams in the conference to start conference play, is going to give a tip of hat and an "atta boy" to a fellow coach.

[hls97]

I think we could crack the top-10 AP if we keep winning.

Should we?

I don't know. The Duke game was a disaster. We barely beat WSU. Wake beat us on our home court.

On the other hand, the MSU game was impressive, as was the win at Saint Mary's. Overall, I think we are currently right about where we belong. We will have to go to the Dance and beat some high-ranked teams to justify much more.

Go Zags!

[UberZagFan]

My question is if we win out could we see are selves ranked #1 at some point this year?

No way. Each one of the teams ranked in the top 5 right now would have to lose 4-5 more games and the teams ranked 6-9 would have to lose 3-4 more times. That will not happened. And even if all of those teams lost that many times, it still would be unlikely as those losses would likely be looked upon as "good losses" whereas GU lost to home to Wake and got spanked badly to Duke.

[U Zig, I Zag]

The Duke loss looks really bad and the level of competition isn't as great as it is in all the BCS conferences. I would guess, even winning out until the NCAA tourney, that the highest we rank would be 6 or 7 (in the polls) and a 3 seed in the tourney, but most likely a 4.

[TexasZagFan]

The Duke loss looks really bad and the level of competition isn't as great as it is in all the BCS conferences. I would guess, even winning out until the NCAA tourney, that the highest we rank would be 6 or 7 (in the polls) and a 3 seed in the tourney, but most likely a 4.

Best we can hope for is a 3 or 4 seed, playing the first round in Spokane.

And that wouldn't be bad at all.

Barring injury, I don't see Texas, Kansas, or Kentucky losing more than once between now and conference tourneys. We're going to need some "style points" to burnish our credentials, i.e. winning by larger margins in conference, not to mention winning in Memphis. No let-up, keep the foot on the throats...

[BlueVoodoo07]

I think the highest we could hope to have by the end of the regular season would be a 6 or so. That Duke loss is such a black eye on an otherwise impressive season so far. Wake doesn't help our cause either as it was at home.

A 6 or so No way man we are already a 4 I say so I think 4 seed maybe 3 and thats good enough for me. Just don't want that 5 seed against a team like cincy

[mgadfly]

A 6 or so No way man we are already a 4 I say so I think 4 seed maybe 3 and thats good enough for me. Just don't want that 5 seed against a team like cincy

I believe he's talking 6 ranking and you are talking 4 seed.

[B-hamZag]

I want to keep this going, we are ranked eighth in coaches poll now. If we win out the season and conference tournament what will we be ranked in the polls? I asked if we could make number 1. Its far out but I generally have seen if you win you move up if you loose you fall. (we are only 20 some points below #7 duke in the polls and #6 Texas if on a two game loosing streak)!