Gonzaga didn't lose its first game last season until April 5. Today is December 5 — four months before April 5. And, surprisingly, the Zags already have two defeats.
Alabama got them Saturday night in Seattle.
"We can be dangerous at times with how many threes we shoot," said Alabama coach Nate Oats. "We hit a few [against Gonzaga] and that helped a little bit."
Thirty-four of the 72 shots Alabama attempted against Gonzaga were from beyond the 3-point line, which is more-or-less the percentage of shots (47.2) Oats wants coming from deep each game. It's a smart and modern approach rooted in analytics, one that's turned the Crimson Tide into one of college basketball's best programs. Alabama winning back-to-back outright SEC regular-season titles looks like a real possibility. If Oats does it, he'll be the first coach to do it since Billy Donovan did it at Florida in 2013 and 2014.
Now back to Gonzaga.
This is a program that played for the national championship last season and has the best odds in the betting markets to win the national championship this season. The Zags have been favored in every game this season by at least seven points but have already lost twice — first to Duke by three points the day after Thanksgiving, then to Alabama by 11 points Saturday night.
It's not panic-button stuff.
But it is notable and evidence that Gonzaga probably isn't quite the juggernaut it was last season when it started 31-0. The Zags — who, don't forget, still own double-digit wins over UCLA and Texas, so it's not all bad — dropped to No. 6 in Sunday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. Alabama moving up 10 spots, from No. 22 to No. 12, caused Kansas, Michigan State, UConn, Auburn, USC, Houston, Iowa State, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio State to all drop one spot each, no fault of their own.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Jaden Ivey finished with 19 points and two steals in Friday's 77-70 win over Iowa. The Boilermakers' next game is Thursday at Rutgers. | -- | 34-5 |
| 2 |  | Duke was outscored 14-1 in the final five minutes of Tuesday's 71-66 loss at Ohio State. The Blue Devils' next game is Tuesday against South Carolina State. | -- | 27-9 |
| 3 |  | Tyger Campbell finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists in Wednesday's 73-61 win over Colorado. The Bruins' next game is Sunday at Washington. | 1 | 16-17 |
| 4 |  | Collin Gillespie finished with 23 points and four rebounds in Saturday's 81-52 win over Saint Joseph's. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday against Syracuse. | 1 | 18-16 |
| 5 |  | LJ Cryer got 20 points off the bench in Saturday's 99-54 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Bears' next game is Dec. 12 against Villanova. | 1 | 24-11 |
| 6 |  | Chet Holmgren missed each of the four 3-pointers he attempted in Saturday's 91-82 loss to Alabama. The Zags' next game is Thursday against Merrimack. | 3 | 27-8 |
| 7 |  | Christian Bishop finished with 17 points off the bench in Friday's 88-58 win over UT Rio Grande Valley. The Longhorns' next game is Thursday against Seton Hall. | -- | 21-13 |
| 8 |  | Au'Diese Toney finished with 18 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 93-78 win over Little Rock. The Razorbacks' next game is Tuesday against Charlotte. | -- | 16-17 |
| 9 |  | Oscar Tshiebwe finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds in Monday's 85-57 win over Central Michigan. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday against Southern. | -- | 23-10 |
| 10 |  | Azuolas Tubelis finished with 22 points and six rebounds in Saturday's 105-59 win over Sacramento State. The Wildcats' next game is Thursday against Washington. | -- | 27-9 |
| 11 |  | Kennedy Chandler finished with 29 points and three rebounds in Saturday's 69-54 win at Colorado. The Vols' next game is Tuesday against Texas Tech. | -- | 27-9 |
| 12 |  | Jaden Shackelford finished with 28 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's 91-82 win over Gonzaga. The Crimson Tide's next game is Saturday against Houston. | 10 | 25-12 |
| 13 |  | Christian Braun finished with 31 points and eight rebounds in Friday's 95-75 win over St. John's. The Jayhawks' next game is Tuesday against UTEP. | 1 | 23-11 |
| 14 |  | Max Christie finished with 14 points and three assists in Saturday's 81-68 win over Toledo. The Spartans' next game is Wednesday at Minnesota. | 1 | 20-15 |
| 15 |  | Jordan Hawkins finished with 15 points and three rebounds in Saturday's 88-59 win over Grambling. The Huskies' next game is Wednesday at West Virginia. | 1 | 37-3 |
| 16 |  | Jabari Smith finished with 17 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 86-64 win over Yale. The Tigers' next game is Saturday against Nebraska. | 1 | 27-8 |
| 17 |  | Chevez Goodwin finished with 14 points and five rebounds in Saturday's 63-61 win at Washington State. The Trojans' next game is Tuesday against Eastern Kentucky. | 1 | 15-18 |
| 18 |  | Tramon Mark finished with 22 points, four rebounds and four assists in Friday's 111-44 win over Bryant. The Cougars' next game is Monday against Alcorn State. | 1 | 32-5 |
| 19 |  | Caleb Grill got 16 points off the bench in Saturday's 64-58 win at Creighton. The Cyclones' next game is Thursday against Iowa. | 1 | 29-8 |
| 20 |  | Caleb Love finished with 22 points and four assists in Wednesday's 72-51 win over Michigan. The Tar Heels' next game is Sunday at Georgia Tech. | 1 | 29-8 |
| 21 |  | Florida missed 20 of the 24 3-pointers it attempted in Wednesday's 74-67 loss at Oklahoma. The Gators' next game is Monday against Texas Southern. | 1 | 24-12 |
| 22 |  | E.J. Liddell finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in Tuesday's 71-66 win over Duke. The Buckeyes' next game is Sunday at Penn State. | 1 | 22-14 |
| 23 |  | Jamir Harris finished with 23 points off the bench in Saturday's 113-67 win over Nyack College. The Pirates' next game is Thursday against Texas. | -- | 25-12 |
| 24 |  | Tari Eason finished with 20 points and five steals in Wednesday's 66-51 win over Ohio. The Tigers' next game is Saturday against Georgia Tech. | -- | 17-16 |
| 25 |  | Johnny Davis finished with 25 points and five rebounds in Saturday's 89-76 winn over Marquette. The Badgers' next game is Wednesday against Indiana. | -- | 22-14 |
| 26 |  | Nate Johnson finished with 24 points and two assists in Wednesday's 78-45 victory over Central Michigan. The Musketeers' next game is Sunday at Oklahoma State. | -- | 16-18 |
