College basketball rankings: Gonzaga puts No. 1 ranking on the line vs. No. 3 Iowa in battle of unbeatens
After a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup was called off, Saturday's Zags vs. Hawkeyes clash could be almost as good
By
Gary Parrish
•
1 min read
COVID-19 cost the sport a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup between Gonzaga and Baylor two Saturdays ago. Hopefully, something like that doesn't happen again this weekend. (Fingers crossed.) Because, if it doesn't, we'll get the next best thing this Saturday — specifically a No. 1 vs. No. 3 matchup between Gonzaga and Iowa.
Tip is scheduled for noon ET.
It's not only a matchup of two of the best three teams in the nation, according to both the Associated Press Top 25 poll and the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1. It's also a matchup of the schools with the best two adjusted offensive-efficiency ratings in college basketball. And, let the record show, the best belongs to Iowa.
The Hawkeyes are ridiculous.
They almost never turn it over, they're terrific offensive-rebounders, and they're shooting 39.8% from 3-point range. They have four players who are averaging at least 15 minutes per game while shooting at least 50% from beyond the arc. So if an opponent tries to collapse on national player of the year favorite Luka Garza, there's an undeniable price to play.
"They have a potent 3-point attack that's just as dangerous as [Garza] is," said Gonzaga coach Mark Few, whose Zags haven't played in 17 days because of COVID-19 issues in the program. "That's what makes them so special — their ability to shoot the ball from 3 and spread it out, and they have the best scorer in college basketball down on the block, but he's not just a block guy. He's shooting the ball from 3 better than anybody we've got. So, yeah, huge challenge."
That's not hyperbole, by the way.
Garza is averaging 29.2 points and 9.0 rebounds while making 68.4% of the 3.2 3-pointers he's attempting per game. Gonzaga's best 3-pointer shooter (Corey Kispert) is shooting 45.0% from beyond the arc. So, again, Few is telling the truth about Garza. He's been tremendous all season.
Should be a fun game.
You can watch it on CBS.
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Saturday's Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers
1
Oregon
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Gonzaga's perfect record features wins over Kansas and West Virginia. The Zags have temporarily suspended basketball activities because of COVID-19 issues. | -- | 12-1 |
| 2 |  | Baylor's perfect record is highlighted by double-digit wins over Illinois and Washington. The Bears have temporarily suspended basketball activities because of COVID-19 issues. | -- | 9-2 |
| 3 |  | Luka Garza finished with 23 points and eight rebounds in Sunday's 106-53 victory over Northern Illinois. The Hawkeyes' perfect record also features double-digit wins over North Carolina and Iowa State. | -- | 10-2 |
| 4 |  | Ochai Agbaji finished with 23 points and five rebounds in Thursday's 58-57 victory at Texas Tech. The Jayhawks' lone loss is a season-opening loss to top-ranked Gonzaga. | -- | 9-3 |
| 5 |  | Gabe Brown made five 3-pointers and finished with 20 points in Sunday's 109-91 victory over Oakland. The Spartans' perfect record also features wins over Duke and Notre Dame. | -- | 11-1 |
| 6 |  | Jaden Springer finished with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in Friday's 103-49 victory over Tennessee Tech. The Vols' perfect record also includes wins over Colorado and Cincinnati. | -- | 9-3 |
| 7 |  | Jeremiah Robinson-Earl finished with 18 points, five rebounds and four assists in Wednesday's 85-66 victory over Butler. The Wildcats' 6-1 record also includes wins over Texas and Arizona State. | -- | 9-2 |
| 8 |  | Derek Culver finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds in Friday's 70-65 victory over Iowa State. The Mountaineers' lone loss is a single-digit loss to top-ranked Gonzaga. | -- | 8-4 |
| 9 |  | Virginia's lone loss is a one-point loss to San Francisco. The Cavaliers have temporarily suspended basketball activities because of COVID-19 issues. | -- | 10-1 |
| 10 |  | Houston's perfect record features a double-digit win over Texas Tech. The Cougars have temporarily suspended basketball activities because of COVID-19 issues. | -- | 11-1 |
| 11 |  | Greg Brown finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday's 79-63 victory over Sam Houston State. The Longhorns' 6-1 record also included wins over Indiana and North Carolina. | -- | 8-4 |
| 12 |  | The Red Raiders missed 17 of the 23 3-pointers they attempted in Thursday's 58-57 loss to Kansas. Texas Tech's two losses are to Kansas and Houston. | -- | 9-3 |
| 13 |  | Brad Davison finished with 17 points, two rebounds and two assists in Tuesday's 77-63 victory over Loyola Chicago. The Badgers' lone loss is a final-second loss at Marquette. | -- | 7-4 |
| 14 |  | Xavier Pinson finished with 17 points and five assists in Saturday's 81-78 victory over Illinois. Missouri's 5-0 record also includes a win over Oregon. | -- | 10-2 |
| 15 |  | Marcus Zegarowski finished with 20 points and five assists in Thursday's 94-76 victory over St. John's. The Bluejays have scored at least 93 points in four of their seven games. | -- | 7-5 |
| 16 |  | Kofi Cockburn finished with 33 points and 13 rebounds in Tuesday's 92-65 victory over Minnesota. The Illini's two losses are away-from-home losses to Baylor and Missouri. | -- | 8-3 |
| 17 |  | Ron Harper Jr. finished with 27 points, five rebounds and four assists in Monday's 74-60 victory at Maryland. The Scarlet Knights' perfect record also features a win over Syracuse. | -- | 6-6 |
| 18 |  | Matthew Hurt finished with 18 points and five rebounds in Wednesday's 75-65 victory at Notre Dame. The Blue Devils' two losses are both to teams ranked ahead of them in the Top 25 And 1. | -- | 11-1 |
| 19 |  | Armando Bacot finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's 73-67 victory over North Carolina Central. Both of UNC's losses are to teams ahead of them in the Top 25 And 1. | -- | 11-1 |
| 20 |  | Scottie Barnes finished with 16 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 74-61 victory over Georgia Tech. The Seminoles' perfect record also includes wins over Indiana and Florida. | 1 | 6-6 |
| 21 |  | Dre Davis finished with 21 points and two assists in Tuesday's 75-54 victory over Western Kentucky. The Cardinals' 4-0 record also features a win over Seton Hall. | 1 | 10-2 |
| 22 |  | Hunter Dickinson finished with 20 points and seven rebounds in Sunday's 62-58 victory over Penn State. The Wolverines' perfect record also features wins over Toledo and UCF. | 1 | 11-0 |
| 23 |  | The Buckeyes missed 18 of the 24 3-pointers they attempted in Wednesday's 67-60 loss at Purdue. Ohio State's next scheduled game is Saturday against UCLA. | 1 | 8-3 |
| 24 |  | Javonte Perkins finished with 20 points and five rebounds in Thursday's 80-69 victory over NC State. The Billikens' perfect record also includes a win over LSU. | 1 | 11-1 |
| 25 |  | Javonte Smart finished with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists in Monday's 88-66 victory over Sam Houston State. The Tigers' lone loss is a single-digit loss at Saint Louis. | 1 | 10-1 |
| 26 |  | Eugene Omoruyi finished with 19 points and five rebounds in Thursday's 74-64 victory over San Francisco. The Ducks' lone loss is a single-digit loss to Missouri. | NR | 6-6 |
IN: Oregon
OUT: San Diego State
