Gonzaga No. 20 in SB Nation's preseason top 25

The Gonzaga Bulldogs, in search of their 14th straight trip to the NCAA tournament, find themselves in the No. 20 spot in SB Nation's preseason top 25 for 2012-13, as compiled by Mike Rutherford.

Gonzaga posted a 26-7 record in 2011-12 (13-3 West Coast Conference) under head coach Mark Few, but it didn't claim at least a tie for the regular-season WCC crown for the first time in a dozen years. The Bulldogs lost center Robert Sacre – who was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers – but will return a solid core of players from last year's squad. Small forward Elias Harris and the team's leading scorer in 2011-12, guard Kevin Pangos, are expected to lead the way for the 'Zags, with talented forward Sam Dower figuring to be a major contributor as well.

The Bulldogs will open regular-season play on Friday, Nov. 9 when they play host to Southern Utah. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT and the game will be televised on ROOT Sports.