Gonzaga’s basketball program has surged back into the national conversation, climbing from the fourteenth to the eleventh spot in the latest CBS Sports Top 25. The jump reflects a combination of strategic roster moves and a schedule that promises marquee victories.
A Revamped Roster Sets the Stage
The Bulldogs’ resurgence is anchored by two fifth‑year seniors who arrived through the portal: point guard Javon Bennett, who averaged 15.8 points and 2.9 assists at Dayton, and sharpshooter Chauncey Wiggins, who hit 39 percent from three‑point range at Florida State. Their arrivals address the point‑guard and three‑point shooting needs that had left the team vulnerable after the departure of several key players.
Just a season ago the Zags slipped outside the top twenty‑five after losing five seniors and six transfers, including NBA draft prospects Jack Kayil and Mario Saint‑Supery. The exodus forced the program to rebuild, but the new additions have restored confidence among coaches and analysts alike.
The current core features Davis Fogle, Isiah Harwell, Braden Huff and Massamba Diop, while the coaching staff is courting elite prospects Donovan Dent, a UCLA guard, and Xaivian Lee, a Florida guard, who could further elevate the roster. Together, these players form a blend of experience and high‑upside talent that could push Gonzaga deep into the postseason.
Their path forward includes an exhibition against Arkansas, a showdown with second‑ranked Duke in February, and December battles versus Michigan State, UCLA and Purdue. Each of these matchups offers a chance to test the team’s chemistry and to signal its championship aspirations to a national audience.
In the 2026‑27 preseason Top 25, the top five remain largely unchanged, with Arizona and Michigan State swapping places, but Gonzaga sits just behind Arkansas at No. 10, poised to make a deeper run. The early rankings suggest that the Bulldogs are being viewed as a legitimate contender, a stark contrast to the fluctuations they endured just months earlier.