Northwest Notes Oct. 31, 2026

Vandal men to host preseason favorites Montana State on ESPNU

Idaho men's basketball's home game against conference preseason favorites Montana State on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2027, has been selected to air nationally on ESPNU, the Big Sky Conference announced, marking the first time UI's ICCU Arena will host a nationally televised game. 

The Vandals and Bobcats played three thrillers last season. Idaho mounted its largest comeback of the 21st century in January against Montana State, erasing a 21-point deficit in the second half to win 92-89 in Moscow. MSU took the away leg of the regular season series, 73-66 in Bozeman, before the Vandals bested the 'Cats in the Big Sky Tournament quarterfinals in Boise, 78-74, the second of Idaho's four wins in five days to punch its ticket to March Madness for the first time since 1990.

Tip-off in Moscow has been shifted to 8 p.m. PT. The game is part of the Big Sky's media distribution agreement with ESPN, which puts one conference game a season on ESPN's linear networks. 

Idaho made its first regular season appearance on an ESPN linear broadcast since 2011, last season when facing Portland State in front of a sellout crowd in the Rose City. UI is only the second team to be selected for the Big Sky's linear game in back-to-back years since the conference renewed its contract with ESPN ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Gonzaga men picked Pac-12 preseason favorite

In its first year of the "new" league, Gonzaga unanimously topped the 2026-27 Pac-12 Conference Preseason Media Poll released Thursday. 

The Zags’ Davis Fogle and Braden Huff were selected to the conference’s Preseason Player Impact List as well. Forwards Ronnie Harrison and Ladji Dembele were the selections from Washington State, picked to finish eighth out of the nine teams. 

The Preseason Media Poll was voted on by a panel of league media members, while the Impact List was selected by the league's nine head coaches.

With the exception of the 2023-24 and 2017-18 seasons, the Zags have been first place in all their respective conference preseason polls since 2001. The Zags were previously in the West Coast Conference.

Fogle, a sophomore guard, earned conference All-Freshman Team honors last season. He appeared in 29 games, averaging 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field.

Huff, a 6-foot-10 forward, averaged 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in 18 appearances last season before his season was cut short by injury. 

Harrison, a senior transfer from East Texas A&M, led the Lions in scoring and rebounding with 14.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The forward led the Cougs with 23 points and 11 rebounds in their 84-80 exhibition win in Seattle against the Huskies on Sunday. 

Ladji, a redshirt junior transfer from UNLV, appeared in six games with three starts with the Rebels last season, averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds. The forward saw action in all 33 games with 21 starts during his sophomore campaign with Iowa in 2024-25. 

Boise State forward Dovydas Butka and guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas, both transfers, were named to the Preseason Impact List. The Broncos were picked sixth.

A native of Lithuania, Butka started 31 games for Campbell during the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 13.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals. 

Signed by Boise State in April, Wheeler-Thomas started all 32 games played for North Dakota State last season, averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists a year ago.

Gonzaga opens its regular season schedule against No. 24 Purdue in the TNT Hall of Fame Series on Monday (4:30 p.m., TNT/truTV/HBO Max).

2026-27 Pac-12 Preseason Media Poll

1, Gonzaga (17 first-place votes). 2, Utah State. 3, San Diego State. 4, Colorado State. 5, Oregon State. 6, Boise State. 7, Texas State. 8, Washington State. 9, Fresno State

Preseason Player Impact List

Boise State - F Dovydas Butker, G Domari Wheeler-Thomas

Colorado State - F Kyle Jorgensen, G Jase Butler

Fresno State - F Bradey Henige, G Ross Candelino

Gonzaga - G Davis Fogle, F Braden Huff

Oregon State - G Josiah Lake II, G Daniel Freitag

San Diego State - G Elzie Harrington, F Tae Simmons

Texas State - F DJ Hall, F Paul Djobet

Utah State - G Mason Falslev, G Dallin Hall

Washington State - F Ronnie Harrison, F Ladji Dembele

Gonzaga women selected first in Pac-12 preseason media poll

Gonzaga women's basketball was selected to finish first in the Pac-12 preseason media poll, as announced by the conference on Thursday. 

In addition, Bulldogs Allie Turner and Lauren Whittaker were named to the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List.

Turner, a junior has connected on 194 career three-pointers, shooting 46.3 percent from beyond the arc. She enters the 2026-27 season just 27 points shy of reaching 1,000 career points.

Whittaker scored 641 points while shooting 55.3 percent from the field during her freshman season, setting a Gonzaga freshman scoring record.

Washington State, picked sixth, was represented on the impact list by guard Eleonora Villa and center Alex Covill. 

Covill, daughter of former North Idaho College women's basketball coach Nathan Covill, averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks over 23.9 minutes per game and was named to the WCC All-Academic Team last season as a junior.

Villa, a senior, averaged a career-high 16.5 points, 3.6 assists and 34.8 minutes per game last year.

2026-27 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll

1, Gonzaga (16 first-place votes). 2, Oregon State (1). 3, San Diego State (2). 4, Colorado State. 5, Boise State. 6, Washington State. 7, Fresno State. 8, Texas State. 9, Utah State.

2026-27 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Preseason Impact List

Boise State: F Libby Hutton, G CJ Latta

Colorado State: G Kloe Froebe, G Camryn Runner

Fresno State: G Lola Donez, F Ashlyn Rean

Gonzaga: G Allie Turner, F Lauren Whittaker

Oregon State: G Kennedie Shuler, G Jenna Villa

San Diego State: G Natalia Martinez, F Bailey Barnhard

Texas State: G Saniya Burks, G Crystal Henderson

Utah State: G Aaliyah Gayles, G Lisa Thompson

Washington State: G Eleonora Villa, C Alex Covill