The 2013 college basketball rankings are about to reward the Gonzaga Bulldogs with the first No. 1 ranking in school history. Gonzaga won a tough road game at BYU on Thursday (Feb. 28), pushing the team to 28-2 overall and 15-0 in WCC play this season. Taking care of business was just one part of the deal, as No. 1 Indiana, No. 3 Duke, and No. 4 Michigan have all lost in the past few days.
Kelly Olynyk was 7-for-10 from the field for 17 points, Gary Bell, Jr. added 15 points, and Elias Harris has 11 points for the Bulldogs in this win. It wasn't an easy win to pull out, but some timely shooting in the second half and good ball control by Kevin Pangos helped Gonzaga clinch the win. The three-point shooting may have been a little suspect, though, as the team went just 6-for-30 from long range.
Defense was really key for Gonzaga, as they held the Brigham Young Cougars to just 36.5 percent shooting from the field. Beating BYU on the road is no easy task, but Gonzaga really performed in what could have easily been a pitfall game. The team now has just one more regular season game against the Portland Pilots on Saturday (March 2) to complete a perfect 16-0 run through the WCC. The win would make Gonzaga 29-2 and give the team the best record in college basketball.
The 2013 college basketball rankings have seen the Gonzaga Bulldogs pop up into the top 5 more than once, but when the Week 18 AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll come out on Monday (March 4) Gonzaga will be the No. 1 team in the country. Barring an unforeseeable upset against Portland, Gonzaga will overtake the Indiana Hoosiers for that top spot. As the only team with fewer than four losses, it's entirely possible that the No. 1 ranking is also unanimous.
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