Gonzaga, Purdue set to clash again in first round matchup at Maui Invitational

Gonzaga will be quite familiar with its first-round opponent at the Maui Invitational in November. The same could be said for GU’s potential second and third matchups in the loaded eight-team field.

The Bulldogs will open against Purdue, which returns national player of the year Zach Edey and all five starters from the team that crushed then-No. 6 Gonzaga 84-66 in the second round of the PK85 last November in Portland.

Purdue is No. 3 in ESPN’s latest preseason rankings while the Zags are No. 8.

The Boilermakers won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles but bowed out of the NCAA Tournament with a stunning 63-58 first-round loss to Fairleigh Dickinson, just the second time a No. 1 seed has lost to a 16.

Gonzaga-Purdue will tip off at 2 p.m. on ESPN2 on Nov. 20. The winner/loser matches up Nov. 21 against the winner/loser of Tennessee or Syracuse, which tips at 11:30 a.m.

Tennessee, No. 6 in ESPN’s rankings, thumped GU 99-80 in an exhibition game last October in Frisco, Texas. The Volunteers outlasted the top-ranked Zags 76-73 in Phoenix in December 2018 in the last regular-season meeting. GU won the previous three matchups.

Though not as recent, the Zags have some history with Syracuse, too, falling 87-65 in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament and squandering a late lead in a 2016 Sweet 16 setback.

The other half of the Maui bracket features Kansas, which opens against host Chaminade, and Marquette vs. UCLA. ESPN ranks Kansas No. 1 and Marquette at No. 10. Marquette beat Connecticut, which hammered Gonzaga in the Elite Eight en route to the national championship last year, in the Big East Tournament semifinals and also won the regular-season title.

The Zags have ended UCLA’s season two of the past three years with thrilling victories in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga cruised past Kansas 102-90 in Fort Myers, Florida, in the 2020-21 season opener. The Zags were 31-0 before falling to Baylor in the 2021 title game.

But first things first. The 7-foot-4 Edey finished with 23 points, seven boards and three blocks against the Zags in Portland. Then-freshmen guards Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith combined for five 3-pointers and 28 points and 12 assists. Ethan Morton and Mason Gillis, both rising seniors, chipped in 14 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Caleb Furst, a 6-10 junior who made 21 starts last season, also returns. He had 10 points and six boards vs. GU.

Gonzaga has revamped its lineup after losing four of its top five scorers, including three-time All-American Drew Timme and first-round NBA draft pick Julian Strawther. Forward Anton Watson and guard Nolan Hickman return and they’ll likely be joined in the starting five by transfers Ryan Nembhard (Creighton), Steele Venters (Eastern Washington) and Graham Ike (Wyoming).

Ike and Watson will be defensive options on Edey. Ben Gregg had some success against the Purdue star last November, leading to increased playing time for the rest of the season.

This will be Gonzaga’s sixth appearance in the Maui Invitational. The Zags, led by tournament MVP Rui Hachimura, defeated Duke and Zion Williamson 89-87 in the 2018 title game. They also won the championship in 2009.