#21/20 Gonzaga (2-0) vs. #23/23 Creighton (1-0)
TUESDAY, NOV. 11 | 7 P.M. | SPOKANE | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER
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THE OPENING TIP
- Gonzaga welcomes Creighton in a battle of Top 25 ranked teams to the McCarthey Athletic Center Tuesday at 7 p.m. On Dec. 1, 2017, the programs met in the McCarthey Athletic Center, and then-ranked No. 15 GU beat No. 25 Creighton, 91-74. The Zags have won five straight at home in Top 25 matchup games.
- It's only the fourth non-conference matchup between two AP Top-25 ranked teams in the McCarthey Athletic Center since 2015. Over the last 10 years, the Bulldogs also had three other games against WCC member Saint Mary's where both programs were ranked in the AP poll. In the six total Top-25 games in the McCarthey Athletic Center in the last decade, Gonzaga won five, with the lone loss coming to No. 19 Arizona in 2015.
- 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).
- The Bulldogs are coming off an 83-68 win over Oklahoma in the Spokane Arena Saturday. GU's Graham Ike had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Tyon Grant-Foster added 14 points. Jalen Warley and Braden Huff each scored 13 points. The Zags outscored the Sooners 58-20 in the paint and 38-8 in bench points.
- Graham Ike is nine points from 2,000 in his career. He has scored 1,213 points while at Gonzaga.  Only three Zags have totaled 2,000 points while at GU. Ike ranks second among active scorers in NCAA Div. 1 at 1,991, while Indiana's Tucker DeVries is first at 2,004. Ike's 917 rebounds ranks third among active players. He is the only active player with 1,500 points and 900 rebounds in a career. Ike was named preseason All-American by CBS Sports and ESPN, and to the NABC and Naismith Player of the Year and 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' roster third in the nation in experience.
 
SCOUTING THE BLUE JAYS
- Creighton opened their season with a 92-76 win over South Dakota Wednesday. Creighton pulled away late in the first half and never looked back. Iowa transfer forward Owen Freeman scored a team-high 19 points (9-11 FG) off the bench. He was joined in double figures by four teammates, highlighted by Nik Graves with 15 points and 5 assists and forward Jackson McAndrew adding 13 points and 7 rebounds. This was HC Greg McDermott's 500th win as a D1 head coach, and the Blue Jays 16th straight in an opener. 
- The Blue Jays were ranked 3rd out of 11 in the preseason Big East poll.
- The Blue Jays have a new look after losing their 3 top scorers from last year. Creighton ranked No. 12 nationally in On3's Team Transfer Portal Index. And according to 247Sports, two of Creighton's incoming transfers rank among the Big East's top 10 (Josh Dix at No. 4 and Owen Freeman at No. 6).  They are joined by 4-star transfers Nik Graves, Blake Harper, and Austin Swartz.
 
SERIES INFO
- Gonzaga is 5-6 against Creighton all-time dating back to 1947, but the Zags have won the last three meetings versus the Blue Jays.
- In the most recent matchup in the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, GU advanced with a dominating 83-65 victory. Drew Timme led the Zags with 22 points and Andrew Nembhard added 17 points 8 assists while Marcus Zegarowski scored 19 points for Creighton.
- In 2018, No. 1 Gonzaga rallied past Creighton in Omaha for a 103-92 win led by Zach Norvell Jr. who scored 23 of his 28 points in the second half.
- In 2017, No.15 Gonzaga beat No. 25 Creighton in McCarthey 91-74 led by Killian Tillie, scoring 22 points.
- Creighton won the first all-time matchup in 1947, 32-29 in Omaha.
 
UP NEXT
- Gonzaga has another tough early season contest, as it travels to Tempe to take on Arizona State Friday.
- Arizona State beat Utah Tech Sunday, 81-66. Massamba Diop led all scorers with 18 points. Santiago Trouet added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Pepperdine transfer Moe Odum had 14 points, six assists, six rebounds and three steals.
- The Sun Devils opened their season with an 81-64 win over Southern Utah in Tempe on Nov. 4.
- In the first all-time matchup last year, Gonzaga beat Arizona State in Spokane 88-80 in a back-and-forth battle. Braden Huff led the way for the Zags with 21 points. Basheer Jihad added 22 points and 10 boards for the Sun Devils.
- Arizona State was picked to finish last out of 16 teams in the Big 12 preseason poll.
- Arizona State has eight incoming transfers, highlighted by Marcus Adams Jr. and Moe Odum.
- Arizona State returns one player from last year's team that went 13-20.
 
BULLDOGS VERSUS RANKED FOES
- Gonzaga is 71-97 all-time versus ranked opponents all-time, including 53-57 under Mark Few.
- The Zags are 12-14 all-time at home against ranked foes, going 12-10 in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- Since 2015, GU is 5-1 versus ranked teams at home, winning the last five versus AP-ranked teams.
- On Dec. 1, 2017, No. 15 Gonzaga rallied to beat No. 25 Creighton in the McCarthey Athletic Center, 91-74. Current Zag assistant coach Zach Norvell scored all 21 of his points in the second half, making 4-of-5 from three-point range. Silas Melson had 21 points and Johnathan Williams added 15 for Gonzaga. Marcus Foster had 21 points for Creighton, while Khyri Thomas added 18. Current Blue Jay assistant coach, Mitch Ballock played 19 minutes with three assists. Creighton led 44-37 at halftime, and 46-39 early in the second half, before a GU 14-0 run. The Bulldogs would then lead by as many as 19 points late in the game.
 
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 third in the nation in experience. KenPom's "experience" statistic measures average number of full DI seasons played, weighted by minutes played. GU is at 2.74, while Indiana leads at 2.96. SMU is second at 2.76.
- The average age of Gonzaga's roster, featuring 12 scholarship players and four walk-ons, is 21.2 years old. The Brooklyn Nets, by comparison, are the NBA's youngest team at 23.3 years old.
- 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.
- Between Steele Venters, Tyon Grant-Foster, and Jalen Warley, the trio combines for 2,891 career points in 269 appearances.
 
SHOWCASING THE DEPTH
- In the Zags' 83-68 victory over Oklahoma, GU's bench outscored its counterparts, 38-8.
- Tyon Grant-Foster and Jalen Warley came off the bench to combine for 27 points and 15 rebounds.
- Three Bulldogs came off the bench and played over 20 minutes, with Steele Venters adding 12 minutes.
 
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.