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Gonzaga sneaks into CBS Sports' Top 25 and 1 rankings for 2025-26

Originally posted on Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI
By Cole Forsman | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 5:14 PM ET

Prognosticators appear torn over Gonzaga's outlook for the 2025-26 college basketball season amid some uncertainties regarding what the Bulldogs' roster will look like come the first week of November.

The Zags (26-9) will lose at least six rotational players from last season's squad that won the West Coast Conference championship and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and that's not accounting for any potential last-minute entrees into the NBA draft. It's no secret that acquiring backcourt depth will likely be a high priority for Mark Few and the coaching staff over the next few months, as a handful of skilled guards have reportedly drawn interest from Gonzaga since the 30-day window for players to enter the transfer portal opened on March 24.

Graham Ike could return to Spokane for one more season with the Zags, who would be getting a big boost if their leading scorer decided to come back, though the 6-foot-9 forward has yet to make his intentions for next year known publicly. It's also unclear if Braden Huff will return for his redshirt junior season. Huff started Gonzaga's final three games of the season, along with Ike in the frontcourt, forming quite the dynamic duo for Gonzaga's offense to run through during the postseason.

That all said, what the Bulldogs' roster looks like now won't be the same as it does in a month from now, and the same goes for almost every other program across the country. Players have to enter the portal by a certain date, but they can take as long as they want to before making a commitment. With over 2,000 names already in the portal, it's anyone's guess as to what the landscape will look like come summertime.

As analysts and experts compile their "way-too-early" rankings for next season already, the projections on where the Bulldogs stand among the field, as well as what their rotation will look like, are mixed. ESPN and a few other outlets had Gonzaga around the No. 20 spot, while The Athletic didn't even have the Bulldogs on its top 25 for next season. College hoops insider Jon Rothstein, going above and beyond with his own list of the top 45 teams, had the Bulldogs at No. 40 in his first look at the 2025-26 campaign.

CBS Sports' Gary Parrish has been updating his Top 25 and 1 rankings constantly in attempts to keep up with the portal. In the latest version of the Top 25 and 1 released Thursday, Parrish had Gonzaga at No. 26. However, he didn't mention Ike's name among the players he projects will return next season.

Ike, who led the team with 17.3 points per game last season, has another year of eligibility left after missing the 2022-23 season due to an injury. He's led the Bulldogs in scoring in each of the past two seasons, earning All-West Coast Conference honors in back-to-back seasons.

Here's a look at the rest of CBS Sports' rankings.

CBS Sports' Top 25 And 1

1. Houston
2. Duke
3. Purdue
4. UConn
5. UCLA
6. Arizona
7. Alabama
8. Iowa State
9. Florida
10. St. John's
11. Michigan
12. Louisville
13. Texas Tech
14. Kentucky
15. Auburn
16. Michigan State
17. Oregon
18. BYU
19. Kansas
20. Texas
21. Arkansas
22. Ohio State
23. Tennessee
24. Wisconsin
25. North Carolina
26. Gonzaga