#2/2 Gonzaga (0-0) vs. North Florida (0-0)
MONDAY, NOV. 7 | 6 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
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THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga opens the 2022-23 regular season against North Florida inside the McCarthey Athletic Center Monday. It is the first meeting between the programs.
- The Bulldogs have won 17 straight regular season-openers dating back to a loss to Saint Joseph's in 2003.
- GU has won 32 consecutive regular season home-openers since a 73-65 loss to Boise State on Dec. 7, 1988.
- The Zags are No. 2 in the Associated Press preseason poll entering the year. The Bulldogs' 114 straight AP Poll appearances top the nation. Gonzaga has been in the Top 10 for a national-best 81 straight polls, and in the Top 5 for 50 consecutive polls. The Bulldogs' 50 straight appearances in the Top 5 ranks as the third-longest in AP poll history, while its 81 straight polls in the Top 10 is fourth.
- Gonzaga is coming off a 101-70 exhibition victory over Warner Pacific Wednesday in Spokane. In their final tune-up before the regular season, five Zags finished in double-digit scoring led by Drew Timme's game-high 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field. He added eight rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes. Malachi Smith added 16 points, going 7-of-11 from the field with six rebounds. Gonzaga led for the entirety of the game, shooting 52.7 percent from the field, while holding the Knights to 38.2 percent.
- Timme was named the CBS Sports Preseason National Player of the Year and to the NABC Player of the Year Preseason Watch List. He was also tabbed Preseason All-American First Team by the Associated Press.
- Last season, the Zags advanced to their seventh straight Sweet 16 and finished at 28-4. Gonzaga won the league regular season title for a national-best 10th straight season.
- Gonzaga returns three starters and nine letterwinners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' 25th West Coast Conference regular season title and 20th WCC Tournament title.
- In 2021-22, the Bulldogs advanced to their 23rd straight NCAA Tournament, and won their opening round game for the 13th straight season.
- The Zags own the country's longest home win streak with 67 consecutive victories inside the McCarthey Athletic Center, breaking the previous program record last season which was 50.
 
THE SERIES
SERIES INFO: This is the first-ever meeting between Gonzaga and North Florida. 
AGAINST A-SUN: Gonzaga had not an Atlantic Sun Conference foe until 2018, and North Florida will be the fourth in the past four seasons. GU is 3-0 all-time versus Atlantic Sun Conference members, beating North Alabama             twice in 2018 and last season. The Zags also beat Bellarmine last season in Spokane.   
 
SCOUTING THE OSPREYS:
- North Florida was selected fifth in the Atlantic Sun Conference coaches' preseason poll, receiving one first-place vote.
- Carter Hendricksen and Jose Placer were named to the All-ASUN Men's Basketball Preseason Team.
- Hendricksen earned his third preseason nod in as many seasons. He is coming off a year that saw him surpass 1,000-career points and 500-career rebounds, averaging 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest across the 22 games he appeared in.
- Placer averaged a team-high 14.7 points in 23 games last season. He had 35 points against Austin Peay and also tallied 25-point efforts in road games at Arizona State, FIU and Jacksonville State.
- As a team, UNF returns nine letterwinners and seven that earned considerable time on the court last year and over their careers. The Ospreys lost just four members of the 2021-22 season, while adding four newcomers this season, two of which are freshman and two that have previous collegiate experience.
- UNF returns four of its top scorers from last year and its top seven rebounders from the 2021-22 squad. Among those cleaning the glass are Jadyn Parker, Dorian James and Jonathan Aybar, UNF's top leading rebounds from the year prior. The trio combined to block 110 of 150 shots by UNF last season.
 
UP NEXT
- Gonzaga faces Michigan State in the 2022 Armed Forces Classic on the USS Abraham Lincoln in San Diego, Calif., Friday.
- GU appears in its second Armed Forces Classic after playing Pittsburgh in the 2015 event at U.S. Marine Corps Base Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan.
- Michigan State has won four of the five all-time meetings against Gonzaga, and all five games have been decided by single digits. In the most recent meeting, the Spartans won in Spokane, 74-67, on Dec. 20, 2011.
- The Bulldogs' lone win in the series was a 106-103 victory in triple overtime in the 2005 Maui Invitational.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Timme ranks 15th in program history with 1,521 points and 15th with 617 rebounds. He is 26 points from tying Jerry Vermillion for 14th, and 13 rebounds from matching Bill Quigg's 14th-best mark.
- Rasir Bolton is three steals from 100 in his career.
- Anton Watson is four steals from 100 in his career.
- Rasir Bolton is 14 assists from 300 in his career.
 
SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
- 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 New York City.
- In last year's season-opener, No. 1 Gonzaga beat No. 6 Kansas in the Fort Myers Tipoff in Florida, 102-90.
- GU has won 31 consecutive regular season home-openers since a 73-65 loss to Boise State on Dec. 7, 1988.
- Gonzaga has won all 16 regular season home-openers in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs have won all 21 regular season home-openers under Mark Few.
 
TIMME NAMED TO NABC PRESEASON LIST
- Drew Timme was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches preseason watch list for the 2021 NABC Division I Player of the Year
- The 2023 NABC Division I Player of the Year - selected by a vote of Div. I head coaches - will be announced the week of the 2023 Men's Final Four in Houston.
 
GONZAGA CRUISES IN EXHIBITION OVER WPU
- GU eased to a 101-70 exhibition win over Warner Pacific (Ore.) in its final tune-up before the regular season.
- Five Zags finished in double-digit scoring led by Drew Timme's game-high 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field. He added eight rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes. Malachi Smith added 16 points, going 7-of-11 from the field with six rebounds. Julian Strawther made three three-pointers and finished with 13 points, while Nolan Hickman and Efton Reid chipped in 11 and 10 points.
- Gonzaga led for the entirety of the game, shooting 52.7 percent from the field, while holding the Knights to 38.2 percent. The Bulldogs outrebounded WPU 53-30, with 20 offensive boards. GU dished out 24 assists and forced 18 turnovers.