Gonzaga faces former USF standout Devin Watson again at San Diego State

Gonzaga encounters a familiar foe on a couple of fronts Thursday. The Zags roughed up San Diego State 69-48 last season at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Aztecs’ leading scorer this season is guard Devin Watson (13.4), a transfer from San Francisco with a 16.2 scoring average against the Zags in five meetings.

The 6-foot-1, 172-pound junior, at times can be a volume shooter – he’s only made 50 percent or better in two games – but the Zags have seen what Watson can do when he gets hot. Watson had 33 points in an overtime loss to GU in 2016. He had 26 points in a win over San Diego on Nov. 30.

Josh Perkins will probably start on Watson, who is coming off an 0-for-6 effort in a loss to Cal. Watson has hit just 39.8 percent from the field and 24.4 percent of his 3-pointers, but he’s made his way to the free-throw line a team-high 46 times. He’s made 82.6 percent at the line.