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Men's Hoops Ranked 22nd in ESPN/USA Today Preseason Poll
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McLEAN, Va. - Gonzaga University, 26-7 year ago, is ranked 22nd in the ESPN/USA Today preseason men's basketball coaches' poll released Wednesday.
Indiana University is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' preseason poll, receiving 21 out of a possible 31 first-place votes and 761 overall points from a panel of coaches.
Gonzaga received 166 points to easily out-distance 23rd-ranked University of Notre Dame with 122 points and only 25 points behind 21st-ranked University of Wisconsin. One ranked team is currently on the Bulldog schedule with No. 18 Baylor University slated to visit the McCarthey Athletic Center Dec. 28
Four other opponents are in the also receiving votes category - Kansas State University who the Bulldogs face Dec. 15 in the Battle in Seattle, defending West Coast Conference champion Saint Mary's College who ended Gonzaga's run of 11 straight WCC titles last season, Oklahoma State University who the Bulldogs visit for New Year's Eve and Butler University who is on the slate for ESPN College Game Day from legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse Jan. 19.
The Bulldogs are bidding for their 15th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament after reaching the Third Round in 2012 with a victory over West Virginia University.
The public will get its first look at the Bulldogs this Saturday when "Kraziness in the Kennel" returns to the McCarthey Athletic Center. The doors open at 3 p.m. with activities beginning at 4 p.m. The family-friendly event is open to the public and is being held in conjunction with Fall Family Weekend on the GU campus.
Gonzaga's lone exhibition game will be the following Saturday when Northwest Nazarene University visits for a 5 p.m. contest. The regular season and home opener is Nov. 9 against Southern Utah University.
| USA Today Coaches Poll | |||
| RK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS |
| 1 | Indiana (21) | 0-0 | 761 |
| 2 | Louisville (5) | 0-0 | 738 |
| 3 | Kentucky (5) | 0-0 | 718 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 0-0 | 617 |
| 5 | Michigan | 0-0 | 605 |
| 6 | North Carolina State | 0-0 | 581 |
| 7 | Kansas | 0-0 | 563 |
| 8 | Duke | 0-0 | 516 |
| 9 | Syracuse | 0-0 | 502 |
| 10 | Florida | 0-0 | 422 |
| 11 | Arizona | 0-0 | 411 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 0-0 | 401 |
| 13 | UCLA | 0-0 | 396 |
| 14 | Michigan State | 0-0 | 391 |
| 15 | Creighton | 0-0 | 325 |
| 16 | Memphis | 0-0 | 307 |
| 17 | Missouri | 0-0 | 289 |
| 18 | Baylor | 0-0 | 266 |
| 19 | UNLV | 0-0 | 203 |
| 20 | San Diego State | 0-0 | 196 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 191 |
| 22 | Gonzaga | 0-0 | 166 |
| 23 | Notre Dame | 0-0 | 122 |
| 24 | Florida State | 0-0 | 61 |
| 24 | Texas | 0-0 | 61 |
Others receiving votes: Saint Louis 58, Virginia Commonwealth 40, Cincinnati 33, Murray State 30, Kansas State 13, Saint Mary's 11, New Mexico 10, Tennessee 10, Minnesota 9, Pittsburgh 9, Marquette 8, Stanford 7, Oklahoma State 6, Butler 6, Colorado State 4, Middle Tennessee 3, Saint Joseph's 2, Drexel 2, Georgia 2, Miami (FL) 2, Marshall 1
Dropped from rankings: Marquette 10, Murray State 16, Georgetown 17, Cincinnati 18, Vanderbilt 19, New Mexico 23, Xavier 24, Ohio 25
