Gonzaga announces men’s basketball nonconference schedule

Gonzaga’s 15-game non-conference slate, most of which had been announced previously, features seven games at the McCarthey Athletic Center, plus a home exhibition.

During the first two months of the season, the Zags face a potential of seven teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, and another that played in the postseason. Seven of those opponents won 20 games in 2021-22, and 10 had winning records.

Gonzaga plays teams from 10 different conferences, including the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC and potentially the ACC or Big East. The Bulldogs are also a participant in this year's Phil Knight Legacy in Portland, and four more neutral site games.

On Nov. 2, the Zags face Warner Pacific in an exhibition at the McCarthey Athletic Center, before starting the regular season at home versus North Florida on Nov. 7. It will be GU’s first-ever meeting against the Ospreys from Jacksonville, Fla.

The Bulldogs play Michigan State in this year’s Armed Forces Classic on Nov. 11 in San Diego on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Gonzaga is appearing in its second Armed Forces Classic after playing Pittsburgh in the 2015 event at U.S. Marine Corps Base Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan.

Texas and Gonzaga meet in the brand-new Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 16. It will be the Longhorns’ third game inside their new 10,000 seat arena. The Zags have won all four meetings against the Longhorns, including last season’s 86-74 win in Spokane.

The Bulldogs’ second all-time meeting against Kentucky is in the Spokane Arena on Nov. 20. The Wildcats beat GU 80-72 in Maui in 2002.

Gonzaga opens the Phil Knight Legacy tournament against Portland State in Portland Nov. 24. GU faces either Purdue or West Virginia in the second game on Nov. 25, and will meet Duke, Florida or Xavier on Nov. 27.

Baylor and Gonzaga meet for the seventh time on Dec. 2, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Baylor beat the Zags in the 2021 national title game.

Kent State comes to GU for the first meeting between the programs on Dec. 5. Kent State won 23 games in 2021-22, before falling in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship.

On Dec. 9, Washington returns to the McCarthey Athletic Center for the 49th all-time meeting between the programs. The Huskies have won 30 games in the series, but GU holds a six-game win streak against UW. Gonzaga has won the last six matchups in Spokane, with the last Husky victory coming in 1982.

Gonzaga meets Northern Illinois for the first time Dec. 12.

The Bulldogs make a trip to Birmingham, Ala., on Dec. 17, for a neutral court matchup with Alabama. The Crimson Tide held off a GU rally in last year’s Battle in Seattle, which was the first meeting between the programs.

Montana and the Zags face off on Dec. 20 in Spokane. It will be the 151st all-time meeting, with GU owning the all-time series 102-48. The Bulldogs have won the last 10 matchups, with the latest in 2015 at Gonzaga. The Grizzlies went 18-14 last season.

The Zags welcome Eastern Oregon following the holiday break on Dec. 28. GU cruised to a 115-62 exhibition victory over the Mountaineers last season.

A rare March non-conference game is on the Bulldogs’ slate this season. GU hosts Chicago State in the third meeting between the programs on March 1. Gonzaga won both previous meetings in 1997 and 1998.

Game times and television information will follow in the near future.

Gonzaga women picked to win WCC; Truongs, Ejim honored

The Gonzaga women's basketball team has been voted to finish first in the West Coast Conference in preseason polls.

Seniors Kayleigh Truong, Kaylynne Truong and junior Yvonne Ejim were also named to the Preseason All-WCC Team as the poll and preseason all-conference team were announced Wednesday morning by the WCC.

The Zags received nine of 10 first-place votes. The poll is voted on by the league's 10 head coaches, and coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. Portland received one first-place vote.

This is the first preseason nod for both Truongs and Ejim.

Ejim is the reigning WCC Sixth Woman of the Year while also receiving All-WCC Second Team in 2021-22. Last season, she saw action in 34 games with one start and ranked fourth on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per contest and second in rebounding with 5.6.

Kayleigh Truong earned All-WCC First Team honors in 2021-22. Kayleigh saw action in 31 games and started in 28 of those, and led the Zags last year with 11.2 points a game and recorded a team-high 117 assists on the year.

Kaylynne Truong was named to the WCC Tournament team along with the Rainbow Wahine Showdown MVP as she was ranked third on the team in scoring last year. She played in 34 games for the Zags and started in seven, averaging 10.4 points a game and dished out 115 assists for 3.4 a contest.

Fans will have an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the 2022-23 squad Oct. 15 at the Numerica Fan Fest at 4 p.m. in McCarthey Athletic Center. Admission is free and tickets are not required.

WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL (First-place votes in parentheses) — 1, Gonzaga (9), 81 points. 2, Portland (1), 71. 3, BYU 55. 4, San Francisco 54. 5, Saint Mary's 47. 6, San Diego 46. 7, Loyola Marymount 39. 8, Santa Clara 29. 9, Pacific 17. 10, Pepperdine 11.

ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON TEAM — Haylee Andrews, sr., G, Portland; Ali Bamberger, jr., F, Saint Mary's; Yvonne Ejim, jr., F, Gonzaga; Alex Fowler, jr., F, Portland; Lauren Gustin, jr., F, BYU; Ariel Johnson, sr., G, Loyola Marymount; Ioanna Krimili, jr., G, San Francisco; Myah Pace, sr., G, San Diego; Kayleigh Truong, sr., G, Gonzaga; Kaylynne Truong, sr., G, Gonzaga.