Gonzaga's nonconference schedule filled with intriguing matchups for new, returning Zags

Oct. 17—San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher needed to boost his schedule, so he reached out to Gonzaga counterpart Mark Few. Turns out Few needed the same thing.

"I always call Mark," Dutcher said last week during Mountain West Conference Media Day, held on the same day in the same Las Vegas hotel as the West Coast Conference event. "He gets more phone calls than I get nationally and their schedule reflects that. They play the national neutral (court) games.

"He's always been gracious. This time it fit. In the past, we've played two or three times in Spokane and they've played a couple times at Veijas (Arena on SDSU's campus). We take those neutral games, but at some level you try to give the fans a home game that they can be excited about. We've both raised our national profile. We continue to try to raise ours."

That's how the two-game set, which begins Dec. 29 at the McCarthey Athletic Center, came about. San Diego State immediately became the main attraction on GU's nonconference home schedule, but there are plenty of quality matchups in other locales.

There's no pleasing everyone when it comes to scheduling, but Gonzaga's schedule checks a bunch of boxes, particularly for returning and new Zags familiar with many of the big-name foes.

Take San Diego State, national runner-up last year and No. 17 in the Associated Press preseason poll. Gonzaga post Graham Ike went 0-4 against the Aztecs in his two seasons at Wyoming.

Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard faced the Aztecs in each of the past two NCAA Tournaments when he was at Creighton. He missed the 2022 matchup, won by Creighton 72-69, due to a broken wrist. He hurt his wrist in the second half but continued playing in a heartbreaking 57-56 Elite Eight loss last March.

"Obviously, we played them last year in the tournament, but new team, new situation, so just looking forward to playing a big-time game," Nembhard said. "Great program."

Nembhard said his wrist injury was "not too bad, I just couldn't really feel a couple of fingers, it was like pins and needles, but I'm good now."

Dutcher didn't mince words. "I think the real key to the game is he got hurt and played through it," he said. "I don't think he was at full strength."

GU's second-best nonconference home game appears to be season opener Nov. 10 against Yale, favored to repeat as Ivy League champions. Gonzaga senior wing Steele Venters played for Eastern Washington last year and scored a team-high 15 points in a 74-60 loss to Yale in Honolulu. Venters probably has GU's two West Coast Conference dates with Santa Clara circled after being limited to seven points in EWU's season-opening loss to the Broncos.

The Zags have rematches against Purdue and defending national champion UConn after enduring blowout losses last season. UConn, No. 6 in the preseason poll, ended Gonzaga's season with an 82-54 rout in the Elite Eight.

Purdue used a 51-point second half to thump GU 84-66 at the PK85 in Portland. The Boilermakers return all five starters, led by 2023 national player of the year Zach Edey.

Gonzaga tangles with No. 3 Purdue on Nov. 20 to open the Maui Invitational in Honolulu. The winner likely will face No. 9 Tennessee, which handled the Zags 99-80 in an exhibition contest last October in Frisco, Texas. Gonzaga's foe on the tourney's final day could be No. 1 Kansas or No. 5 Marquette, meaning the Zags could potentially face No. 3, No. 9 and No. 1 in a three-day stretch.

"All of those big games really pop out to me," fifth-year senior forward Anton Watson said. "Purdue especially, because I know that's going to be a big one and it's a tournament, and you're trying to win the tournament, so we have to get past them."

As for UConn, which handed the Zags their most lopsided NCAA Tournament loss, Watson said, "They were super tough, super good. They got us and once they got that little lead it was hard to get back and Drew (Timme) was in foul trouble, but there's a lot of things that go into a game.

"I feel like Baylor beat us pretty bad in the (2021) national championship. There's been a couple games where it was like, yeah, we got smacked, but that's what happens. It's basketball."

Gonzaga was on the other end of a blowout with an 88-72 victory over Kentucky last November at the Spokane Arena. The second game of the six-game set will be Feb. 10 — in the middle of GU's WCC and Kentucky's SEC schedules — at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.

"Cal (Kentucky coach John Calipari) and I just threw it out there," Few said. "Anymore it's getting harder and harder to shove as many games into that preseason without playing back-to-backers. We thought what the heck, it's kind of what worked for them and for us. There's no football at that time and that kind of factored in."

Watson had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and was tenacious on defense on 2022 national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe.

"Kentucky, obviously, playing in that arena is going to be something special, something I'll probably remember the rest of my life," Watson said. "San Diego State, UConn, we just know those are going to be battles, so I'm super excited for each one."

Few noted that Gonzaga's schedule is front-loaded, per usual, with the goal of trying to earn a No. 1 seed. He also pointed out WCC favorite Saint Mary's gave UConn one of its toughest tests in March Madness before Gaels forward Alex Ducas exited late in the first half with an injury.

"It's a lot like our other schedules," Few said. "That's why these guys came (to Gonzaga), and fully knowing the WCC is going to be way better than most people give it credit for."