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College basketball rankings: Gonzaga climbs latest Top 25 And 1 after landing two key transfers – CBS Sports
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With Drew Timme, Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton presumably done with college basketball, it’s been clear for weeks that Mark Few would have to add some quality pieces via the transfer portal to keep Gonzaga operating at the top of the sport.
On Friday, he did it.
The Zags secured commitments from Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard and Wyoming transfer Graham Ike. Both are projected starters who are among the best at their positions in the sport. Nembhard just averaged 12.1 points, 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 35.6% from three for a team that made the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Meantime, Ike missed all of this past season with a foot injury. It should be noted, however, that he was voted the preseason Mountain West Conference Player of the Year after averaging 19.5 points and 9.6 rebounds for a team that made the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
These are big additions.
They’re why I’ve moved Gonzaga up to No. 12 in Version 7.0 of the 2023-24 CBS Sports preseason Top 25 And 1, where UConn remains No. 1 based on a projection that the Huskies will return four of the top six scorers — namely Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban, Donovan Clingan and Andre Jackson Jr., — from a team that won the 2023 NCAA Tournament (and also finished No. 1 at KenPom.com). Dan Hurley should combine that core with a top-five recruiting class, highlighted by five-star prospect Stephon Castle, and have a legitimate chance to become the first coach to win back-to-back national championships since Billy Donovan did it at Florida in 2006 and 2007.
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