Gonzaga, SDSU announce home-and-home series: What to expect from the matchup

June 2024 · 4 minute read

Gonzaga and San Diego State will clash in a home-and-home series beginning this upcoming season, the schools announced Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

What does the matchup mean?

It’s hard to believe these two programs have met just four times before. But it speaks to San Diego State’s national rise in prominence that this becomes a marquee non-conference matchup in each of the next two seasons. And, in the continuation of a welcome trend, programs are willing to keep these games on campus and create truly incredible college atmospheres — as opposed to choosing an anodyne neutral site.

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Gonzaga always takes on all comers, to build overall schedule strength before West Coast Conference play. So no surprise Mark Few and Co. jumped at this. But San Diego State was in the Maui Invitational last year and played Arizona State, Michigan, BYU and Georgetown the year before; the Brian Dutcher-era Aztecs clearly are looking for matchups that enhance their own schedule before league games, too, with a similar aim at building a better case for higher NCAA Tournament seeds.

While we already consider the Zags a high-major operation, regardless of conference affiliation, it might be almost time to ponder that designation for the Aztecs, who have now won 30 games twice in the last four seasons. — Hamilton

What will the first game look like in Spokane?

San Diego State lost leading scorer Matt Bradley but brings back a core from its Final Four run that includes the starting backcourt of Darrion Trammel and Lamont Butler and two senior forwards — Jaedon LeDee and Micah Parrish — who played in all 39 games last season and should elevate to starting roles in 2023-24. The arrival of Reese Waters from USC, meanwhile, has the potential to offset the personnel losses. The 6-6 wing was the Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year and averaged 15.3 points per 40 minutes for the Trojans last winter. This should be a season squad that appears in everyone’s preseason top 25s, and one that won’t be overwhelmed by the atmosphere at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Gonzaga is embarking on its post-Drew Timme era and will navigate a good deal of roster churn as it does. Anton Watson returns as an anchor in the paint, and Nolan Hickman will be a veteran hand in the backcourt, but transfers Ryan Nembhard (Creighton), Graham Ike (Wyoming) and Steele Venters (Eastern Washington) might assume lead roles, one way or another. The Zags were ranked 19th in The Athletic’s post-transfer portal too early top 25 in May — indicative of a season in which, at least to start, the program won’t be running from a pole position nationally.

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Hard to imagine Gonzaga being an underdog on its home floor, but San Diego State has restocked well enough to ensure the hosts won’t be an overwhelmingly heavy favorite. Hamilton

Backstory

The two sides last met in December of 2017 when the Aztecs upset then-No. 12 Gonzaga 72-70 at home.

San Diego State finished first in the Mountain West last season with a 32-7 overall record (15-3 in conference play) before embarking on its run to the Final Four. Entering the NCAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed, the Aztecs took down College of Charleston, Furman, No. 1 seed Alabama, Creighton and Florida Atlantic en route to the national championship game.

Gonzaga went 31-6 overall and 14-2 in WCC play last season to earn a No. 3 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs’ season ended with an 82-54 Elite Eight loss to the eventual national champion Huskies.

Required reading

(Photo from 2017: Kent C. Horner / Getty Images)

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