The 2026-27 college basketball season is three weeks away, with the Gonzaga Bulldogs facing the Purdue Boilermakers in Las Vegas in one of the marquee matchups of Nov. 2.
In fact, it'll be an opening day matchup between two of the top 25 teams in the country, at least according to the preseason KenPom ratings - which were revealed on Sunday.
Gonzaga came in at No. 14 overall, sitting at No. 7 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 21 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Purdue just snuck in at No. 24.
Duke, Florida, Houston, Illinois, and Arizona make up the top five, with Iowa State, Michigan State, Kansas, Alabama, and Texas rounding out the top ten.
UConn (11), Texas Tech (12), and Vanderbilt (13) are the three other teams ahead of Gonzaga.
Gonzaga maintains high expectations despite offseason uncertainty
Gonzaga is nearing the end of a ridiculously challenging offseason that saw multiple departures, including Jack Kayil and Mario Saint-Supery in May and July, respectively, and the ongoing eligibility saga for the team's three class of 2022 seniors in Xaivian Lee, Chauncey Wiggins, and Javon Bennett.
Even with all the turmoil, the Zags are widely considered one of the strongest teams in college hoops, and KenPom reinforces that with the team sitting just inside the top 15.
The return of potential All-American big man Braden Huff and breakout sophomore superstar Davis Fogle, as well as incoming transfers Massamba Diop and Isiah Harwell, gives this team a very high floor - no matter what happens with the fifth year seniors.
How the new Pac-12 stacks up in KenPom
Gonzaga is easily the highest rated program in the new look Pac-12, but the conference had a strong showing in KenPom's preseason ratings.
Three non-Gonzaga teams - Utah State at 51, Boise State at 59, and San Diego State at 74 - are inside KenPom's top 75, while three others are in the top 100 in Colorado State (81), Oregon State (98), and Texas State (100).
Washington State (102) and Fresno State (162) are the only non-top 100 teams in the new Pac, showing considerably stronger projected depth than what Gonzaga dealt with in the WCC.
Last year, for example, five WCC teams finished lower than No. 162 - LMU (165), Oregon State (179), Portland (206), San Diego (226), and Pepperdine (263).
If the Pac-12 can play up to these expectations, Gonzaga will benefit from far fewer Quad 3 and Quad 4 games on the schedule - especially with such a strong non-conference slate.
Gonzaga faces another loaded nonconference schedule
Gonzaga is slated to take on five teams inside KenPom's top 30 this upcoming season - Duke (1), Michigan State (7), Purdue (24), UCLA (27), and Creighton (30).
Gonzaga is also taking on No. 20 Arkansas in an exhibition game Oct. 24 in Fayetteville, and could face No. 9 Alabama in the Players Era Festival on Nov. 26.
Gonzaga's other non-conference opponents include LSU (62), Oregon (79), Kansas State (96), New Mexico State (130), Montana State (132), Cornell (187), and Incarnate Word (285).
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