1. Gonzaga (20-1, 9-0 WCC). Last week: 1
Gonzaga continued to make quick work of the WCC with easy wins against Saint Mary’s and Pacific last week. The Bulldogs are in line for two more victories with Portland and Memphis coming to Spokane this week.
2. Wichita State (18-2, 8-0 MVC). Last week: 2
Wichita State had no trouble with Missouri State and Drake last week. The Shockers host Loyola on Wednesday before traveling to Northern Iowa for a huge game this weekend.
3. Northern Iowa (18-2, 7-1 MVC). Last week: 3
Northern Iowa came back from 12 points down in the second half to beat Illinois State on the road in the final minute. The Panthers have won seven games in a row since dropping their MVC opener.
4. Green Bay (17-4, 6-1 Horizon). Last week: 6
Green Bay recorded a huge conference win Friday, defeating Valparaiso. The Phoenix are tied atop the Horizon League standings with the Cleveland State Vikings, who they play Saturday.
5. Saint Mary’s (16-4, 8-1 WCC). Last week: 5
Saint Mary’s was no match for Gonzaga, but the Gaels still managed to split last week’s road trip with a win at Portland. They return home to face Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine this week.
6. Stephen F. Austin (16-3, 6-0 Southland). Last week: 8
Stephen F. Austin is on track for another Southland title after taking full control of first place Saturday with a win at Sam Houston State. The Lumberjacks finish up their road trip Monday against Lamar, another one of the better teams in the Southland.
7. Murray State (17-4, 7-0 OVC). Last week: 10
Murray State took sole possession of first place in the OVC with road wins against Eastern Illinois and SIU-Edwardsville. The Racers now return home for their next three games.
8. Old Dominion (15-4, 4-3 C-USA). Last week: 4
Old Dominion hit a slump last week with road losses to Middle Tennessee and UAB. The Monarchs begin a much-needed three-game home swing Thursday against Florida International.
9. Louisiana Tech (15-5, 6-1 C-USA). Last week: 7
Louisiana Tech swallowed a bad loss at North Texas but rebounded to beat Rice. The Bulldogs host first-place Western Kentucky this week.
10. Wofford (16-5, 7-1 SoCon). Last week: 12
Wofford swept its three-game home stand with an average margin of victory of 17.3 points. The Terriers are tied for first place in the SoCon with Chattanooga.
11. Western Kentucky (14-5, 7-0 C-USA). Last week: 16
Western Kentucky remained perfect in Conference USA with close wins at home against UTEP and UTSA. The Hilltoppers will be challenged on the road this week against Louisiana Tech.
12. Valparaiso (18-4, 5-2 Horizon). Last week: 13
Valparaiso’s five-game winning streak ended Friday with a 51-50 loss at Green Bay. The Crusaders have a fairly easy week ahead with games against Milwaukee and UIC.
13. Harvard (11-5, 1-1 Ivy). Last week: 11
Harvard was upset at home Saturday by Dartmouth. The Crimson now have to play four straight Ivy League games on the road.
14. Eastern Washington (15-5, 6-1 Big Sky). Last week: 17
Eastern Washington bounced back from a loss at Sacramento State with wins against Northern Colorado and North Dakota. The Eagles remain home this week to face Idaho.
15. Kent State (14-5, 5-1 MAC). Last week: 18
Kent State continued its MAC success last week with wins against Toledo and Ball State. The Golden Flashes host Central Michigan, which has been one of the MAC’s best surprises, Tuesday.
16. Yale (13-6, 2-0 Ivy). Last week: 19
Yale completed the season sweep of Brown on Saturday with a 69-65 win. The Bulldogs are on the road this weekend against Columbia and Cornell.
17. UTEP (12-7, 4-3 C-USA). Last week: 9
UTEP had a rough week with losses to Western Kentucky and Marshall. The Miners return home for the first time in a few weeks, facing UAB on Thursday.
18. Northeastern (14-7, 6-2 CAA). Last week: 15
Northeastern’s five-game conference winning streak ended Saturday with a 78-62 loss at William & Mary. The Huskies’ next four CAA games are all against teams with sub-.500 records in conference play.
19. BYU (15-7, 5-4 WCC). Last week: 14
BYU’s WCC struggles continued with a loss Saturday to San Diego. The Cougars desperately need a pair of wins at home this week against San Francisco and Santa Clara.
20. Iona (15-6, 8-2 MAAC). Last week: 21
Iona picked up a pair of wins against Rider and Niagara to take sole possession of first place in the MAAC. The Gaels face a pair of struggling teams, Saint Peter’s and Fairfield, this week.
21. Evansville (15-5, 5-3 MVC). Last week: 24
After a mediocre start to MVC play, Evansville has won four of their last five games with the only loss coming to Wichita state. The Aces defeated Loyola (Chicago) and Southern Illinois last week.
22. Central Michigan (14-3, 4-2 MAC). Last week: Unranked
Central Michigan’s offense has been dominant this season, and that is why the Chippewas are tied for first place in the MAC West. They have a big matchup coming up that could really validate this team when they play Tuesday at Kent State.
23. Coastal Carolina (15-5, 6-2 Big South). Last week: 20
Coastal Carolina ended a two-game slide Saturday with a win against Presbyterian.
24. UC Davis (14-4, 4-1 Big West). Last week: 22
UC Davis’ five-game winning streak ended Thursday at Hawaii. The Aggies return home for another tough matchup against UC Santa Barbara.
25. South Dakota State (15-7, 6-2 Summit). Last week: Unranked
South Dakota State hit a four-game slide a few weeks ago, but since then the Jackrabbits have won six straight games to take a lead in first place of the Summit League.
