SPOKANE, Wash. - The to-do list for the Gonzaga basketball team got shorter Monday: For the first time, the Zags were ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men's poll.
Sweet, but it may get bumpier from there. Next: Avoiding the potholes that have stopped every other No. 1 this season, then finding a way to the Final Four.
"It's an honor that people would think this highly of all of us in the program," coach Mark Few said in a prepared statement. "It's great for the program, great for the school, great for the city of Spokane and the region and the entire Northwest.
"We still have a lot more to accomplish starting this weekend in Las Vegas and moving forward to the NCAA tournament."
Few reportedly went fishing on Monday. He has repeatedly said he enjoys the balance between work and family time that Gonzaga provides, a big reason he has not left for a bigger program.
Staying No. 1 has been tough this season, with Gonzaga the fifth school to hold the spot after replacing Indiana. The others were Duke, Louisville and Michigan.
"We don't believe there is any jinx," assistant coach Tommy Lloyd said.
Gonzaga, a small Jesuit school, is where crooner Bing Crosby went and where John Stockton threaded pinpoint passes. It has the best record in Division I at 29-2 following weekend wins against BYU and Portland. The Hoosiers, beaten by Minnesota last week, dropped to No. 2.
Rim shots
• Christine Clark, a Tucson High grad, won the Ivy League women's player of the week for the fourth time this season after averaging 16 points and 4.5 boards in wins over Princeton and Penn.
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