{
  "id": 7923151,
  "title": "EvanMiya’s Preseason Rankings Favor the Zags Once Again",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/evanmiyas-preseason-rankings-favor-the-zags-once-again",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-17T01:50:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/evanmiya-preseason-rankings-favor-zags-015018770.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On March 19, 2026, the Gonzaga Bulldogs opened the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in Portland, Oregon. EvanMiya's preseason rankings placed the team at No. 5 overall, but without their four ineligible players, they are currently at No. 9. The Bulldogs' starting five consists of Chauncey Wiggins, Izan Almansa, Nathan de Sousa, and Javon Bennett. Their offensive rating is No. 4, with their defensive rating not far behind at No. 11. The projected core bench includes Parker Jefferson, Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa, Luca Foster, and Sam Funches. The team is currently lacking a lead guard due to ongoing lawsuits against the NCAA. The public will see the upcoming team for the first time on October 3, 2026.",
  "summary": "The analytics will start off on Gonzaga’s side for the 2026-27 season.",
  "key_points": [
    "Gonzaga Bulldogs enter 2026 NCAA tournament at No. 9",
    "Starting five includes Chauncey Wiggins and Izan Almansa",
    "Team projected without lead guard due to NCAA lawsuits"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Gonzaga's preseason ranking discrepancy highlights the significant impact of ineligible players on team evaluations, shifting their standing from fifth to ninth overall in EvanMiya's rankings.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}