#21/20 Gonzaga (1-0) vs. Oklahoma (1-0)
SATURDAY, NOV. 8 | 7:30 P.M. | SPOKANE | SPOKANE VETERANS MEMORIAL ARENA
TELEVISION: ESPN2
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE RADIO | LIVE STATS
 
THE OPENING TIP
- Gonzaga and Oklahoma meet in the Bad Boy Mowers Series - Spokane event at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena Saturday at 7:30 p.m. It's fifth all-time matchup between the teams, and second inside the arena.
- The Bulldogs beat OU in the 2009 Ronald McDonald House Charities Classic on New Year's Eve, played inside the Spokane Arena, 83-69. The game's highlight may have been when the Sooners' Tiny Gallon shattered a backboard in front of the Oklahoma bench that led to a 52-minute delay.
- Gonzaga has won the last three match-ups against OU, with the Sooners winning the first all-time meeting.
- The Bulldogs are coming off a 98-43 season-opening win over Texas Southern in Spokane Monday. Five Zags finish in double-digit scoring with two more at eight points. Tyon Grant-Foster scored 15 points and Graham Ike added 13 points and 11 rebounds. GU's defense forced 17 TSU turnovers behind nine steals. The Zags outscored the Tigers 52-16 in the second half, while limiting Texas Southern to 5-of-30 shooting from the field.
- The Zags have now won 22 straight regular season-openers dating back to 2003. GU has won 36 consecutive regular season home-openers since 1988. In last season's opener, the No. 6 Bulldogs rolled to a 101-63 win in the Spokane Arena over seventh-ranked Baylor.
- Graham Ike is 28 points from 2,000 in his career. He was named preseason All-American by CBS Sports and ESPN, to the preseason NABC and Naismith Player of the Year and Karl Malone Award watch lists.
- While the Bulldogs only return 36 percent of their scoring from last season, along with 34 percent of their rebounding, the current roster features four 1,000-point career scorers and two more at 845 and 727. Seven Zags have played at least 65 games in their careers, with six averaging at least 20 minutes per game. GU's 2025-26 roster features the 2022-23 Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year, the 2022-23 Big Sky Player of the Year, the 2023-24 WAC Player of the Year, and the 2023-24 Patriot League Player of the Year. KenPom metrics ranks the Bulldogs' lineup 10th in the nation in experience.
 
SCOUTING THE SOONERS
- Oklahoma rolled to a 102-66 season-opening win over Saint Francis Monday. Trailing 49-45 with 18:30 left in the second half, OU used a 32-3 run to pull away. Freshman Kuol Atak, who finished 4 of 8 from behind the arc, scored a team-high 18 points in 20 minutes off the bench. He was joined in double figures in points by four teammates, who each finished with at least 14 points. Mohamed Wague had 16 points and 10 boards. Xzayvier Brown finished with six assists and one turnover.
- Oklahoma ranked No. 6 nationally in On3's Team Transfer Portal Index. And according to 247Sports, three of OU's incoming transfers rank among the SEC's top 11 (Xzayvier Brown at No. 8, Derrion Reid at No. 9 and Nijel Pack at No. 11), and a fourth (Tae Davis) ranks No. 19.
- The Sooners were ranked 11th out of 16 in the preseason SEC poll.
 
SERIES INFO
- Gonzaga has won three of the four all-time meetings.
- The Zags have won the last three versus the Sooners.
- In the most recent meeting in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, GU advanced with an 87-71 victory. Drew Timme led the Zags with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Austin Reaves scored 27 points for Oklahoma.
- In the 2012 Old Spice Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., GU rolled to a 72-47 semifinal victory en route to the tournament title.
- The Bulldogs beat OU in the 2009 Ronald McDonald House Charities Classic, played inside the Spokane Arena, 83-69.
- Oklahoma won the first meeting in the 2007 All-College Challenge in Oklahoma City, 72-68.
 
UP NEXT
- Gonzaga has another tough early season contest, as it hosts No. 23 Creighton at the McCarthey Athletic Center Tuesday at 7 p.m.
- The Blue Jays opened their season with a 92-76 win over South Dakota in Omaha Wednesday. In head coach Greg McDermott's 500th career Division I victory, Iowa transfer Owen Freeman led the way in scoring for the Bluejays with 19 in his Creighton debut as he made 9-of-11 shots from the field. He was followed by four other Bluejays in double figures.
- Creighton also bolstered exhibition wins over No. 16 Iowa State (71-58) and Colorado State (76-64).
- Creighton returns two starters from last year's team that went 25-11 and won an NCAA Tournament game for the fifth straight season.
- Creighton leads the all-time series with Gonzaga 6-5, but the Zags have won the last three, including the latest 83-65 in the 2021 Sweet 16 (after beating Oklahoma in the Round of 32).
 
ZAGS AT SPOKANE ARENA
- Gonzaga is 16-6 all-time in their games inside the Spokane Arena since it opened in 1995.
- Last season in the Spokane Arena, GU eased to a 101-63 victory over No. 7 Baylor in a battle of Top-10 ranked teams on opening night. On Jan. 2 in the Community Cancer Fund Classic in the Spokane Arena, the Bulldogs beat Portland, 81-50.
- Early in the 2022-23 season, GU cruised to an 88-72 victory over Kentucky in the Spokane Arena. The Top-5 matchup drew 12,333 fans, the largest crowd ever for any event in the history of the Spokane Arena.
 
Gonzaga Men's Basketball History in the Spokane Arena
11/24/95 Washington State L 67-72 (OT)
11/30/96 Washington State L 62-75
12/8/98 Washington W 82-71
11/29/99 Washington State W 73-63
1/2/01 New Mexico L 80-81 (OT)
1/6/01 Prairie View W 93-50
12/22/02 Eastern Washington W 67-64
11/24/03 Georgia W 82-76 (OT)
12/31/03 Eastern Washington W 70-49
12/21/04 Eastern Washington W 83-70
12/19/05 Eastern Washington W 75-65
2/17/07 Memphis L 77-78 (OT)
2/7/09 Memphis L 50-68
12/31/09 Oklahoma W 83-69
12/12/09 Davidson W 103-91
2/5/11 Memphis L 58-62
11/26/11 Western Michigan W 78-58
12/10/14 Washington State W 81-66
11/20/22 Kentucky W 88-72
1/4/24 Pepperdine W 86-60
11/4/24 Baylor W 101-63
1/2/25 Portland W 81-50
 
SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
- The Zags have now won 22 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 36 consecutive regular season home-openers since a 73-65 loss to Boise State on Dec. 7, 1988.
- Gonzaga has won all 21 regular season home-openers in the McCarthey Athletic Center and all 27 regular season home-openers under Mark Few.
 
A DEFENSIVE DELIGHT
- The Bulldogs defense held Texas Southern to just 25 percent shooting from the field in the season-opening win, including 3-of-21 (14 percent) from behind-the-arc.
- Gonzaga forced 17 TSU turnovers behind nine steals.
- The Zags outscored the Tigers 52-16 in the second half, while limiting Texas Southern to 5-of-30 shooting from the field, including 0-of-11 from three.
- Jalen Warley had four steals in his Gonzaga debut.
 
EXPERIENCE IS KEY
- While the Bulldogs only return 36 percent of their scoring from last season, along with 34 percent of their rebounding, the current roster features four 1,000-point career scorers and two more at 845 and 727.
- Eight Zags have played at least 65 games in their careers, with seven averaging at least 20 minutes.
- KenPom metrics ranks the Bulldogs' lineup 10th in the nation in experience.
- GU's roster features the 2022-23 Mountain West Conference Preseason Player of the Year, the 2022-23 Big Sky Conference Player of the Year, the 2023-24 WAC Player of the Year, and the 2023-24 Patriot League Player of the Year.
 
6-7! 6-7! 6-7!
- Gonzaga's depth and balance may be showcased the most in the wing position, boasting four players heights at 6-foot seven inches.
- KenPom ranks the Zags' small forwards' heights 16th in the nation.
- Between Steele Venters, Tyon Grant-Foster, and Jalen Warley, the trio combines for 2,866 career points in 266 appearances.