#2/2 Gonzaga (2-1) vs. #4/4 Kentucky (3-1)
SUNDAY, NOV. 2 | 4:30 P.M. | SPOKANE ARENA | SPOKANE
TELEVISION: ESPN
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THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga welcomes No. 4/4 Kentucky for a Top-5 clash Sunday in the Spokane Arena at 4:30 p.m. It's the second all-time meeting between the programs, with the Wildcats winning the only other meeting in 2002.
- The Zags are 11-6 all-time inside the Spokane Arena since it opened in 1995. In their last game inside the arena in 2014, the Bulldogs beat Washington State, 81-66. GU has played only three games in the arena since 2010.
- This is Gonzaga's second-ever Top-5 matchup in Spokane after defeating No. 5 Texas last season in the McCarthey Athletic Center, 86-74.
- The Bulldogs are in the midst of a stretch of games against potentially six currently ranked teams over a seven-game span; No. 25 Michigan State, won 64-63; at No. 11 Texas, lost 74-93; No. 4 Kentucky; No. 24 Purdue; No. 7 Duke; No. 5 Baylor. Kentucky, Texas and Baylor are currently one, two and five in the KenPom rankings.
- Gonzaga is coming off a 93-74 loss at No. 11 Texas Wednesday. Drew Timme led the Zags with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field. He grabbed a game-high nine rebounds as well. Julian Strawther added 13 points with three three-pointers, and Rasir Bolton scored 11 points. GU shot 49 percent from the field with nine threes.
 
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
- Kentucky is coming off a 106-63 victory over South Carolina State Thursday night in Lexington. The Wildcats shot 57 percent from the field, including 10-of-24 from three-point range. Five UK players finished in double-digit scoring led by CJ Fredrick's 17 points. Sahvir Wheeler dished out 10 assists.
- The Wildcats' lone loss was to Michigan State in double-overtime in the Champions Classic Tuesday, 86-77.
- Six Wildcats are averaging double-digit scoring led by Fredrick, Oscar Tshiebwe and Antonio Reeves, who all average 14 points per game.
- Tshiebwe is also grabbing 12.5 rebounds per outing, and Wheeler averages 9.67 assists.
- The Wildcats were picked by the league's media to win the SEC regular-season title. UK has won 49 all-time regular-season SEC crowns and six under John Calipari.
- UK began the year ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 for the 13th time in 14 seasons under Calipari.
 
SERIES INFO
- The programs have previously only met once when the Wildcats beat Gonzaga 80-72 in the 2002 Maui Invitational. Kentucky was ranked 15th and the Zags were No. 20. Blake Stepp scored a game-high 24 points with five three-pointers to lead GU.
- The Bulldogs are 16-11 all-time versus current members from the Southeastern Conference, including a 74-68 loss to Arkansas in its latest matchup with the league last season's NCAA West Regional Semifinal in San Francisco.
- Gonzaga has won seven of its last 10 games against current SEC opponents.
- It will mark the second time the Zags have played an SEC team in Spokane, after beating Texas A&M at GU, 94-71, on Nov. 15, 2018.
 
INSIDE THE ARENA
- Gonzaga is 11-6 all-time in its games inside the Spokane Arena since it opened in 1995.
- Two of the losses came to Memphis while it was coached by John Calipari in 2007 and 2009.
 
UP NEXT
- Gonzaga travels to Portland for the Phil Knight Legacy tournament beginning Thursday through next Sunday.
- The Zags open against Portland State in the Veterans Memorial Coliseum Thursday at 9:30 p.m.
- GU is 18-7 all-time versus Portland State. The Vikings won the last meeting, 77-70, on Dec. 23, 2008.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Drew Timme ranks 13th in program history with 1,583 points and 12th with 645 rebounds. He is three points from tying Corey Kispert for 12th, and 19 rebounds from matching Jim Dixon's 11th-best mark.
- Rasir Bolton is two steals from 100 in his career.
- Rasir Bolton is nine assists from 300 in his career.
 
ZAGS INK STROMER ON SIGNING DAY
- Dusty Stromer (6-6, 180 lbs., G) is a four-star recruit according to ESPN and 247Sports. He ranks as the 48th top recruit in his class on ESPN 100.
- During his junior season at Notre Dame High School, he averaged 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 29 games. Stromer shot 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range.
- Stromer led the Knights to their first Mission League title since 2001 and the program's first-ever CIF Southern Section Open Division playoff berth.
- During league play, he scored 22.8 points and grabbed 7.8 rebounds per game en route to claiming the Mission League MVP and All-CIF honors.