1. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Gonzaga’s No. 1 ranking isn’t by default due to their unblemished record, as the Bulldogs legitimately have enough talent to win the national championship.
The Bulldogs kept their perfect 22-0 record intact with easy wins over San Diego and Pepperdine. While Gonzaga has some important injury concerns, most notably forward Killian Tillie, the Bulldogs keep dominating on both ends of the floor.
KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metric ranks Gonzaga as the best team in the land, and Mark Few’s squad has top six marks both offensively and defensively. Nigel Williams-Goss is running the Gonzaga offense to perfection, while Silas Melson has played well of late to help support a deep and talented front court.
With victories over Florida, Iowa State, Arizona (albeit in the pre-Trier era) and Saint Mary’s, the Bulldogs have built a resume worthy of a No. 1 seed. Of course, Gonzaga will carry a mostly undeserved reputation of underachieving in the NCAA Tournament into March, but this roster might even have more depth and talent than the 2015 squad that went to the Elite Eight.
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The Bulldogs will get one of their tougher tests of WCC play with a trip to BYU on Thursday night before hosting Santa Clara two days alter.