Photo courtesy of: Torrey VailSPOKANE, Wash. - The Gonzaga University women's basketball team cracked the USA Today ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll for the first time this season, checking in at No. 24 this week. The Bulldogs had been consistently receiving votes since the season began in early November and finally made their way into the Top 25 with 42 votes.
Gonzaga is the first team also receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25, earning 73 votes this week.
The Bulldogs (3-1) defeated Portland State University 99-69 last Sunday in the McCarthey Athletic Center. Their lone loss of the season was at the hands of Stanford University, currently No. 5 in the Coaches' Top 25.
Gonzaga has a tough stretch this week, playing three games in five days. The Bulldogs begin the stretch playing at Washington State University (4-3) Wednesday, heading to Cal State Fullerton (3-2) Friday and then coming home to host USC (2-3) Sunday.
Baylor University stands pat in the top spot with a perfect 6-0 record.
The University of Georgia, who the Bulldogs will play in the first game of the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, Dec. 19, is No. 14 in the Coaches' Top 25 poll.
USA TODAY ESPN DIVISION I TOP 25 COACHES' POLL
November 29, 2011
The Top 25 women's basketball coaches poll, with team's RECORDS THROUGH MONDAY in parentheses, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in last week's poll and first-place votes received:
|
Rank |
School (record) |
points |
last week's rank |
first place votes |
|
1 |
Baylor (6-0) |
773 |
1 |
29 |
|
2 |
Connecticut (6-0) |
744 |
2 |
2 |
|
3 |
Notre Dame (5-1) |
704 |
3 |
|
|
4 |
Texas A&M (6-0) |
688 |
4 |
|
|
5 |
Stanford (4-1) |
655 |
5 |
|
|
6 |
Duke (4-1) |
597 |
6 |
|
|
7 |
Maryland (7-0) |
582 |
8 |
|
|
8 |
Tennessee (2-2) |
561 |
7 |
|
|
9 |
Miami (Fla.) (5-1) |
520 |
9 |
|
|
10 |
Kentucky (7-0) |
481 |
11 |
|
|
11 |
Louisville (6-1) |
461 |
12 |
|
|
12 |
Rutgers (6-0) |
441 |
13 |
|
|
13 |
North Carolina (5-0) |
369 |
15 |
|
|
14 |
Georgia (5-1) |
364 |
10 |
|
|
15 |
Penn State (5-1) |
297 |
16 |
|
|
16 |
Purdue (6-0) |
293 |
17 |
|
|
17 |
Wisconsin-Green Bay (5-0) |
262 |
18 |
|
|
18. (tie) |
Ohio State (5-0) |
228 |
19 |
|
|
18. (tie) |
Oklahoma (3-1) |
228 |
14 |
|
|
20 |
Georgetown (5-2) |
172 |
21 |
|
|
21 |
DePaul (5-1) |
170 |
20 |
|
|
22. (tie) |
Texas (5-1) |
139 |
22 |
|
|
22. (tie) |
Vanderbilt (6-0) |
139 |
not ranked |
|
|
24 |
Gonzaga (3-1) |
42 |
not ranked |
|
|
25 |
Texas Tech (5-0) |
37 |
not ranked |
|
Dropped Out: No. 23 LSU (3-3), No. 24 Florida State (3-4), No. 25 Georgia Tech (4-2).
Others receiving votes: Georgia Tech 21; Delaware 16; Iowa State 15; Michigan 15; Syracuse 15; Nebraska 13; Kansas 11; Princeton 11; LSU 4; Tulane 2; UNLV 2; Iowa 1; James Madison 1; Middle Tennessee 1.
The USA TODAY/ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 31 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The board for the 2011-12 season: Courtney Banghart, Princeton; Frank Bennett, Lipscomb; Rae Blair, Texas-San Antonio; Matt Bollant, Wisconsin-Green Bay; Matt Corkery, American; June Daugherty, Washington State; Tonya Edwards, Alcorn State; Jose Fernandez, South Florida; Ronny Fisher, Presbyterian; Beckie Francis, Oakland (Mich.); Stephanie Glance, Illinois State; Bonnie Henrickson, Kansas; Tom Hodges, Morehead State; Rick Insell, Middle Tennessee; Jim Jabir, Dayton; Andy Landers, Georgia; Joe Mathews, Towson; Suzy Merchant, Michigan State; Lynn Milligan, Rider; Sherri Murrell, Portland State; Kathy Olivier, UNLV; Kelly Packard, Ball State; Raegan Pebley, Utah State; Mike Petersen, Wake Forest; Jennifer Rizzotti, Hartford; Susan Robinson-Fruchtl, St. Francis (Pa.); David Six, Hampton; Paul Thomas, Saint Mary's; Joi Williams, Central Florida; Nancy Wilson, College of Charleston; Jody Wynn, Long Beach State.
