Welcome to the latest installment of the Hotline’s Pac-12 men’s basketball power rankings, our weekly assessment of a conference that doesn’t exist (yet) using results, analytics and a dash of common sense. (Results and NET rankings through Sunday) 1. Gonzaga …
Gonzaga had a strong one-game week, adding a Quad 2 victory over Santa Clara on Thursday. The same can’t be said for the nine Power 5 Conference foes on GU’s non-conference schedule. Alabama, Oklahoma, Maryland and Oregon each went 0-2 in conference matchups. Kentucky, UCLA, Creighton, Arizona State and previously unbeaten Michigan went 1-1.
There isn’t much Mark Few hasn’t witnessed or experienced in 27 years at the helm of Gonzaga’s basketball program. Major developments pertaining to conference realignment have occurred during Few’s tenure and the longtime GU coach has successfully navigated other landmark changes to the college athletics landscape, adapting to the transfer portal, Name Image Likeness (NIL) legislation and, most recently, NCAA revenue sharing.
Gonzaga didn’t encounter too many pressure situations while mostly bulldozing through a nonconference schedule loaded with high-major foes and top 25 opponents. The Zags have more than made up for it in West Coast Conference play, navigating troubling starts and …
Opponents have a hard enough time dealing with Graham Ike when the Gonzaga forward is only converting a high percentage of his shots around the basket. There’s a lot more in Ike’s offensive bag, even if the All-American candidate doesn’t …
Graham Ike and Gonzaga took control midway through the second half and continued to separate from visiting Santa Clara late in Thursday’s matchup of unbeaten West Coast Conference teams at McCarthey Athletic Center. After being tied at halftime, the Ike-led …
Three takeaways from Gonzaga’s 89-77 win over Santa Clara on Thursday at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Innocenti rebounds with strong second half It didn’t look like it would be Emmanuel Innocenti’s night after he picked up two early fouls and …
Several stats tell the tale of Gonzaga’s 89-77 victory over Santa Clara late Thursday night, including Graham Ike’s 34 points, GU’s 57.6% shooting from the field and a decisive 17-0 spurt midway through the second half. Not to be overlooked: Santa Clara’s 7 of 26 showing behind the 3-point arc.
Gonzaga’s Graham Ike is still being one of considered for one of college basketball’s most prestigious postseason honors. Ike, the second-leading scorer and top rebounder for the eighth-ranked Zags, was one of 25 players named to the Wooden Award’s Midseason …
Christian Hammond committed to Santa Clara in October 2022. The 6-foot-4 guard officially joined Herb Sendek’s program in 2023-24, but injuries limited him to only 19 games as a freshman. With a deep group of guards and wings on Santa Clara’s roster in 2024-25, extended playing time appeared unlikely for Hammond, so the Colorado native elected to redshirt, chalking the decision up to “me just doing my part.”
Gonzaga’s next challenge in the West Coast Conference comes from a team based in the San Francisco Bay Area that’s relied on a distinct playing style to record multiple wins over Mark Few’s team the last two seasons.
Richard Fox, former GU center and current analyst on Zags’ telecasts on KHQ and SWX, and yours truly broke down what could be a high-scoring contest Thursday at the McCarthey Athletic Center. We also discussed Gonzaga’s ever-changing starting lineups and rotations in the latest Zags Insiders Podcast.
Welcome to the latest installment of the Hotline’s Pac-12 men’s basketball power rankings, our weekly assessment of a conference that doesn’t exist (yet) using results, analytics and a dash of common sense. The power rankings will be published each Monday through the end of the regular season.
Our Gonzaga rewind usually focuses on the team’s most recent game, but it’s probably worth reviewing the week at large for Mark Few’s group, which navigated a couple of close calls to pocket its NCAA-leading 16th win Sunday evening at McCarthey Athletic Center.
The Associated Press took a week off between releasing its week eight and week 10 college basketball polls. Gonzaga squeezed in a short holiday break before tackling a four-game, eight-day span with a 4-0 record to open West Coast Conference play. That didn’t resonate with AP voters, who dropped the Zags (16-1) from No. 7 to No. 8 in Monday’s latest rankings.
Mark Few shook up his starting lineup for the eighth time this season Sunday night against Loyola Marymount, but the contributions No. 7 Gonzaga got from a deep bench unit made the biggest difference in an 82-47 runaway victory over the visiting Lions.
Seventeen games into the season, it can be difficult to distinguish between Gonzaga’s starting lineup and bench unit. The seventh-ranked Zags haven’t been so concerned about who’s in the first five, as long as they get to the right five throughout the course of the game.
Three takeaways at the buzzer from Gonzaga’s 82-47 win over Loyola Marymount on Sunday at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Fogle gets first start The Zags shook up their starting lineup again – they’ve had a different first five in each …
Gonzaga forward Jalen Warley was explaining the concept of “kills,” symbolic of three straight defensive stops. It was a relevant topic Sunday night after the seventh-ranked Zags stifled Loyola Marymount 82-47 at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Asked if coaches mentioned …
Gonzaga vs. Washington State, Jan. 15
Gametime: 7 p.m.
Location: Beasley Coliseum
On TV: CBS Sports
On Radio: 590-AM