The Saint Mary's Gaels continued their strong climb up the two NCAA basketball polls as they climbed to No. 13 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the AP Poll. Saint Mary's only played one game this week as they pulled away strong late against the San Diego Toreros. The Gaels currently stand 22-2 overall and 11-0 in WCC play.
Saint Mary's faces a stiff challenge this week that could make or break a truly high seed come March. SMC travels up to Spokane to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs. While a loss does not hurt their NCAA tournament hopes, a win would move further solidify their status in a bid for a possible three or four seed. They are currently projected in the five seed range, but if they can run the table, road wins over Gonzaga and Murray State, along with a postseason tournament title could get them the best seeding in school history.
Saint Mary's travels to Gonzaga on Thursday for an ESPN2 showdown, and then hosts Santa Clara on Saturday. Here is a rundown of the top ten in each poll:
AP
1. Kentucky
2. Syracuse
3. Ohio State
4. Missouri
5. UNC
6. Baylor
7. Kansas
8. Florida
9. Murray State
10. Duke
ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll
1. Kentucky
2. Syracuse
3. Ohio State
4. Missouri
5. UNC
6. Baylor
7. Murray State
7. Florida
9. Duke
10. Kansas