#1/2 Gonzaga (0-0) vs. #6/5 Kansas (0-0)
THURSDAY, NOV. 23 | 10:30 A.M. | SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION ARENA | FT. MYERS, FLA.
TELEVISION: FOX
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
THE TIP OFF:
- Gonzaga opens the 2020-21 season against No. 6/5 Kansas in the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off on Thursday, at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time, in the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Ft. Myers, Fla.
- The Zags are No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll entering 2020-21. Its the first-ever No. 1 preseason ranking in program history.
- The Zags have won 16 straight regular season-openers dating back to a 73-66 loss to Saint Joseph's in the 2003 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
- In last season's regular season-opener, Gonzaga cruised to a 95-64 win over Alabama State in Spokane. Corey Kispert scored a career-high 28 points in the victory.
- Gonzaga returns two starters and eight letterwinners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' eighth consecutive West Coast Conference regular season title.
- In 2019-20, the Bulldogs qualified for their 22nd straight NCAA Tournament, before the pandemic ended the season.
- GU brings back 50.1 percent of its scoring, and 52.3 percent of its rebounding from last season.
- Gonzaga won 31 games last season, including 16-0 in West Coast Conference play. It was the fourth straight 30-win season, fifth in the last five seasons and sixth in the last eight seasons. GU is the only program in the nation to have reached 30 wins in each of the past four seasons.
- Coach Few is one win from 600 in his career. A win in Gonzaga's next game would make him the third-fastest to reach 600 wins (724 games) in Div. 1 history. He currently boasts the best winning percentage among active head coaches at 82.8 percent.
- Corey Kispert is nine points from joining Gonzaga's 1,000-point club and eight made three-pointers from joining the program's Top-10 career makes. He has helped the Zags win 95 of the 105 games he has played in.
- Gonzaga is 38-10 under Mark Few in tournaments during the week of Thanksgiving. The Zags are 27-4 in the last seven Thanksgiving week tournaments.

SERIES NOTES
- This is the second all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Kansas.
- The Jayhawks won the only other previous meeting between the programs, an 80-66 win at home in Lawrence on Nov. 13, 1998. KU was eighth in the country at the time.
- The Bulldogs are 20-9 against current Big 12 members.
- In its latest meeting with a Big 12 foe, GU fell to Texas Tech in the West Regional final of the 2019 NCAA Tournament in Anaheim, Calif.
 
SCOUTING THE JAYHAWKS
- Led by Preseason All-American Marcus Garrett, Kansas enters the 2020-21 campaign as a consensus top-10 program.
- The Jayhawks returned to the top of the Big 12 last season and finished the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the Associated Press poll.
- Head coach Bill Self enters his 18th season with the Jayhawks and owns a 501-109 record with the program.
- Kansas has made three Final Fours, claimed the 2008 NCAA Championship and has never been lower than a four seed in the NCAA Tournament under Self.
- In addition to Garrett, Kansas returns juniors Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack, who started 31 and 18 games, respectively, for the Jayhawks last season.
- KU's four newcomers include 2020 McDonald's All-American guard Bryce Thompson along with junior college All-American transfer Tyon Grant-Foster.
 
GIVING THANKS FOR THESE TOURNAMENTS
- Gonzaga is 38-10 under Mark Few in tournaments during the week of Thanksgiving.
- The Zags are 27-4 in the last seven Thanksgiving week tournaments.
- Under Mark Few, GU has won six tournaments during the week of Thanksgiving, and played in 10 of the 14
tournament championship games.
 
SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
- The Zags have won 15 straight regular season-openers dating back to a 73-66 loss to Saint Joseph's in the 2003 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in New York City.
- GU has won 30 consecutive regular season home-openers since a 73-65 loss to Boise State on Dec. 7, 1988.
- Gonzaga has won all 15 regular season home-openers in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs have won all 20 regular season home-openers under Mark Few.
 
VIRTUAL KRAZINESS A HIT
- The 2020 version of Numerica Kraziness in the Kennel was broadcast on KHQ and ROOT Sports Northwest and fans were given the chance to meet the team with interviews and video elements.
- The Zags put on an exciting 16-minute scrimmage, with the white team pulling away from the blue team, 45-36.
- The white team was led by Corey Kispert's 14 points. Jalen Suggs added 13 points and five rebounds. Joel Ayayi grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, the most in the last 10 years of the event. Aaron Cook dished out four assists. Drew Timme paced the blue team with 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field.