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Mark Few's Gonzaga Bulldogs are off to a 2-0 start in the 2026-27 college basketball season, having secured victories over Purdue in Las Vegas and New Mexico State in their home opener on Saturday. Despite the strong beginning, the Zags made only a modest climb in the AP Poll, rising one spot to No. 14 and leapfrogging the Miami Hurricanes, who dropped from No. 14 to No. 17 after an opening-day loss to Florida.
Gonzaga (2-0) will have another opportunity to ascend in Week 2 when it hosts Will Wade and the LSU Tigers on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Spokane Arena. Although LSU did not receive any votes in this week's AP Poll despite its own 2-0 start, the Bulldogs' schedule is filled with ranked and high-profile opponents in the coming months.
Key Analysis
UCLA, which Gonzaga faces on Dec. 5 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, made a significant jump from No. 22 to No. 9 after a marquee win over Arizona in Las Vegas—just after GU's victory over Purdue. The Bruins join Duke (No. 2) and Michigan State (No. 5) as top-10 opponents for the Zags, while potential Player's Era Festival foes Miami (No. 17), Alabama (No. 18), and Michigan (No. 20) are also ranked. Creighton and Utah State each received one vote from AP voters after strong starts, and Baylor (14 votes) is another possible Player's Era opponent for Gonzaga.
Gonzaga is still integrating a roster that underwent a tumultuous offseason, returning only Braden Huff and Davis Fogle while adding transfers Xaivian Lee, Massamba Diop, and Isiah Harwell, along with international forward Izan Almansa and guard Nathan de Sousa. Despite the eligibility uncertainty, the Zags currently have 14 of 15 players available, with Florida State transfer forward Chauncey Wiggins the lone ineligible player as of now.
Wiggins, a 6'10 forward who shot 38.7% from three-point range last year, recently filed a lawsuit in Spokane County seeking immediate eligibility. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17 at 9:00 AM, just hours before Gonzaga hosts Montana State at The Kennel. Similar to Tyon Grant-Foster last year, Wiggins could receive a favorable ruling in Spokane and play in a game the same day; his floor spacing and veteran experience would provide another major weapon off the bench in what is shaping up to be an exciting 2026-27 campaign.