Gonzaga, the small Northwest school known for big NCAA tournament wins, is No. 1 in The Associated Press’ Top 25 for the first time.
Riding the best record in Division I at 29-2, the Bulldogs took advantage of Indiana’s loss to Minnesota last week. The Bulldogs switched places with the Hoosiers, advancing from No. 2 to move comfortably into the No. 1 spot.
Gonzaga is the fifth school to hold the top spot this season. Indiana was the preseason No. 1 and on top for nine other weeks. Duke, Louisville and Michigan were the other No. 1s.
Duke stayed at No. 3 with five first-place votes. Kansas and Georgetown both jumped two spots to fourth and fifth.
In the women’s poll, Baylor remained No. 1 for a ninth straight week while Toledo entered the Top 25 for the first time since 2001. Notre Dame, Connecticut, Stanford and California rounded out the top five.