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PROVO — It was hardly a surprise by Monday morning.
When the Associated Press released the latest college basketball top 25 rankings, a West Coast Conference team was No. 1.
And Gonzaga’s first stop as the nation’s top-ranked squad? The Marriott Center on Thursday night for a 9 p.m. MT showdown with BYU (16-7, 7-3 WCC) on ESPN2 and KSL Newsradio.
“We’re really excited for this team,” BYU wing TJ Haws said after the Cougars’ 85-77 win over Loyola Marymount. “They’re very talented, they play hard, and we’re going to come out and have a great effort if anything is going to happen on our end.”
The Zags (22-0, 10-0 WCC) are the only undefeated team in the nation, and they received 46 of 65 first-place votes. Baylor finished second, with six first-place votes, followed by Kansas (nine), Villanova (four) and Arizona.
Gonzaga was also ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/Coaches' Poll.
Gonzaga was No. 4 a week ago, but after formerly top-ranked Villanova, Kansas and Kentucky all picked up at least one loss last week, the mid-major darling ascended to the No. 1 ranking for just the second time in school history.
BYU coach Dave Rose, who tends to eschew comments and prognostications based on rankings, said there is no team more deserving than his conference rival. His teams are 12-1 at home this season, but Rose knows the Cougars will have their hands full defending players like Nigel Williams-Goss and Przemek Karnowski.
“The fact that you can get this far into the season without a loss, you probably deserve to be No. 1,” Rose said, while also adding, “They’re really good, and I think our guys are really excited to play them. I think it’s probably as deep and complete of a team as (Gonzaga coach Mark Few) has had for a while.”
For BYU, the Zags’ road trip to Provo will be the first time in school history the Cougars have hosted the top-ranked team in the country. The Zags were also the last top-five team to visit the Marriott Center, beating BYU 70-65 in 2013.
Fourth-ranked San Diego State lost to Jimmer Fredette and the Cougars 71-58 in 2011 in another trip by a top-five program to Provo.
Saint Mary’s was the most recent top-25 team to visit BYU when the No. 25 Gaels lost 70-59 on Feb. 4, 2016.
BYU center Eric Mika said the Cougars will give the nation’s finest their best shot. He said he expects some noise from the local fans. BYU drew a season-high 17,415 fans for its 89-59 win over Santa Clara in the WCC opener Dec. 29.
“We have an awesome crowd here in the Marriott Center, and it gets loud,” Mika said. “I think we’re all excited for that. It’s going to be full. They’re a heck of a team, and I think we’re playing a lot better than we have. If we bring it, it will be a real good game.”
The Marriott Center boasts 20,900 seats. That number could be eclipsed Thursday night as BYU students began lining up to reserve their seats.
“BYU presents a totally unique challenge,” Few told ESPN’s Seth Greenberg. “I don’t think most people out there are aware of this: we’re going to walk into a building with 20,000 people, and I don’t know how many teams in college basketball play in front of that (type of) crowd with a passion that is unbelievable.
