Zags to open vs. Illinois

at Maui Invitational

The Gonzaga men’s basketball team will open the 2018 Maui Invitational against Illinois on Nov. 19 at 8:30 p.m. PST on ESPN2.

Monday’s quarterfinal matchups feature Auburn taking on Xavier and Duke squaring off against San Diego State in the top half of the bracket, while the bottom half of the bracket will feature Arizona facing Iowa State and Gonzaga playing Illinois.

The 35th edition of the nation’s premier early season tournament will take place Nov. 19-21 at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui. All 12 championship round games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.

“The Maui Invitational is the best preseason tournament in college basketball,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “This year’s field may be the best ever, made up by legendary programs. We love taking our fans and program to Maui. It has a special place in my heart with how much time I’ve spent there with my family.”

The 2018 event represents the first time in tournament history that eight Division I teams take the floor on Maui, a format which will continue in the following alternating years (2018, 2020, 2022 and beyond).

Illinois has won five of the six all-time meetings between the programs, including the latest matchup, 85-74, in Spokane on Dec. 8, 2012. The programs have met three times on neutral courts during the regular season. The Zags won 85-83 in overtime in front of nearly 21,000 fans at the United Center in Chicago on Jan. 2, 2010.

Gonzaga and Illinois have both won the Maui Invitational — the Illini doing so in 2012, and GU taking the title in 2009. Each program is making their fifth appearance at the Maui Invitational. The Bulldogs were in the event in 2002, 2005, 2009 and 2013.

The Zags won the 2009 tournament title behind co-Tournament MVP performances from Steven Gray and Matt Bouldin. Adam Morrison was named the tournament’s MVP in 2005, following a tournament record 43-point performance against Michigan State.

Handful of Monday games

on Big Sky men’s hoops schedule

As expected, the 2018-19 schedule of Big Sky Conference men’s basketball games will have a few twists and turns.

The schedule, announced by the league on Tuesday, includes 20 league games for the first time since the 2013-14 and 2012-13 seasons. Those were the only years in the league’s 55-year history the schedule has included 20 conference games.

The departure of North Dakota left the league with 11 members, making for a challenge in scheduling 20 games for each team in a span of 11 weekends. Travel partners — such as Idaho paired with Eastern Washington — were retained as much as possible, but the “lone wolf” is always prevalent when scheduling an odd amount of teams.

Most notably, Eastern will play four games on Monday, including three at home at Reese Court in Cheney. The Eagles will also host Montana and Montana State in back-to-back games, but those will come nine days apart. Idaho faces a similar gap in its schedule, playing Montana State on Jan. 10 and then Montana nine days later.

Eastern’s lone Monday road game is at Northern Colorado — four days after the Eagles play at Idaho.

Idaho plays three Monday games, two at home. The lone Monday road game is Feb. 18 at Eastern Washington.

The Vandals get things started with three straight, and five of six, at home, beginning with Idaho State and Weber State on Dec. 29 and 31. Eastern Washington makes its way down to Moscow on Thursday, Jan. 3, before the Vandals hit the road for Northern Colorado on Jan. 5.

Non-conference schedules for Idaho and Eastern will be announced at a later date. The Big Sky Conference Championship, which will take place in Boise for the next three years, is scheduled for March 11-16, 2019 at CenturyLink Arena.

2018-19 Idaho Men’s Basketball

Big Sky Conference Schedule

Home games in caps

Times TBA

Saturday, Dec. 29 — IDAHO STATE

Monday, Dec. 31 — WEBER STATE

Thursday, Jan. 3 — EASTERN WASHINGTON

Saturday, Jan. 5 — at Northern Colorado

Thursday, Jan. 10 — MONTANA STATE

Saturday, Jan. 19 — MONTANA

Thursday, Jan. 24 — at Sacramento State

Saturday, Jan. 26 — at Portland State

Saturday, Feb. 2 — NORTHERN ARIZONA

Monday, Feb. 4 ­— SOUTHERN UTAH

Thursday, Feb. 7 — at Montana

Saturday, Feb. 9 — at Montana State

Thursday, Feb. 14 — NORTHERN COLORADO

Monday, Feb. 18 — at Eastern Washington

Thursday, Feb. 21 — at Northern Arizona

Saturday, Feb. 23 — at Southern Utah

Thursday, Feb. 28 — PORTLAND STATE

Saturday, March 2 — SACRAMENTO STATE

Thursday, March 7 — at Weber State

Saturday, March 9 — at Idaho State

2018-19 EWU Men’s Basketball

Big Sky Conference Schedule

Home games in caps

Times TBA

Saturday, Dec. 29 — WEBER STATE

Monday, Dec. 31 — IDAHO STATE

Thursday, Jan. 3 — at Idaho

Monday, Jan. 7 — at Northern Colorado

Thursday, Jan. 10 — MONTANA

Saturday, Jan. 19 — MONTANA STATE

Thursday, Jan. 24 — at Portland State

Saturday, Jan. 26 — at Sacramento State

Saturday, Feb. 2 — SOUTHERN UTAH

Monday, Feb. 4 ­— NORTHERN ARIZONA

Thursday, Feb. 7 — at Montana State

Saturday, Feb. 9 — at Montana

Saturday, Feb. 16 — NORTHERN COLORADO

Monday, Feb. 18 — IDAHO

Thursday, Feb. 21 — at Southern Utah

Saturday, Feb. 23 — at Northern Arizona

Thursday, Feb. 28 — SACRAMENTO STATE

Saturday, March 2 — PORTLAND STATE

Thursday, March 7 — at Idaho State

Saturday, March 9 — at Weber State

Hatley, Bayley underway

at Pacific Coast Amateur

SAN FRANCISCO — Reid Hatley of Hayden Lake shot 73, eight off the pace, and Derek Bayley of Rathdrum shot 75 on the first day of the 52nd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship at The Olympic Club.

The 72-hole tourney runs through Friday.

On the first two days, the Morse Cup team competition is also conducted. Hatley is playing for the Washington State Golf Association team, along with Eric Ansett (68) and Joe Highsmith (70). Washington’s team score of 138 (the top two of three scores are counted) puts it in second place, one shot behind Alberta Golf.

Bayley is playing for the Idaho Golf Association, which counted 75s by Bayley and Josh Gliege for a 150, good for a tie for 13th. The third Idaho member, Carson Barry, shot 78.