Gonzaga, San Diego State showdown will take place Nov. 18 at Viejas Arena

Gonzaga’s return matchup against San Diego State is set for Nov. 18.

The Zags, who lost to the Aztecs 84-74 last December at the McCarthey Athletic Center, will try to return the favor at Viejas Arena, routinely filled with 12,000 fans and one of the most challenging road environments on the West Coast. CBS Sports Jon Rothstein was first to report the date of the nonconference game.

The Aztecs present another tough, early test for Gonzaga, projected in the top 10 in most preseason polls.

The Zags haven’t released their full schedule, but in the first month of the season they will entertain Arizona State on Nov. 10, visit San Diego State eight days later and spend the Thanksgiving holiday in the Bahamas with three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Gonzaga has December matchups with Kentucky in Seattle, two-time defending national champion UConn at Madison Square Garden, and UCLA at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles before entering West Coast Conference play.

San Diego State will look nothing like the team that rallied from an eight-point deficit to hand Gonzaga a rare home setback 10 months ago.

The Aztecs lost 75-85% of their minutes, points, rebounds and assists from last season’s roster via graduation and the transfer portal.

The Aztecs, who finished 26-11 last season and reached the Sweet 16 before falling to UConn in a rematch of the 2023 national championship game, rebuilt with incoming recruits and transfers.

Returning starter Reese Waters and reserves Miles Byrd and Miles Heide should assume bigger roles. Seven-foot redshirt freshman Magoon Gwath and transfers Nick Boyd (Florida Atlantic), Wayne McKinney III (San Diego ) and Jared Coleman-Jones (Middle Tennessee) are candidates to start or play extended minutes.

The 6-foot McKinney, a three-year starter at San Diego, averaged 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season. He had 17 points, five boards and two assists in USD’s loss to Gonzaga last January.