With a Saturday afternoon loss to Texas A&M, the Washington Huskies are on the outside looking in, falling out of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Huskies, previously No. 22 in the poll, received 35 votes, the second most among teams outside of the top-25. Texas A&M, on the other hand, received 39 and were the last team out.
Washington State received one vote in the rankings this week after demolishing the Gonzaga Bulldogs at home on Wednesday and cruising to victory over University of Texas Pan American on Friday. The Cougars are 8-1 on the year and slowly turning some heads and opening eyes. The Cougars are off for finals this week before hitting the road to face Santa Clara on Dec. 19. The Cougars will play in Hawaii at the Diamond Head Classic on Dec. 22, opening the tournament against Mississippi State.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs fall from grace continued with an 0-2 week. The Bulldogs, ranked No. 24 last week, dropped games to Washington State and Notre Dame, falling out of the top-25 with the losses. Gonzaga picked-up just five votes this week after beginning the year ranked No. 12.
The preseason hasn't been kind to the Northwest schools as both Washington and Gonzaga have fallen out of the rankings after just four weeks. With conference play on the horizon, chances to make statements and win crucial non-conference match-ups are dwindling.