1-seed Gonzaga (28-3) vs. 4-seed Oregon State (17-15)
MONDAY, MARCH 9 | 6 P.M. PT | LAS VEGAS | ORLEANS ARENA
TELEVISION: ESPN
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE RADIO | LIVE STATS
 
THE OPENING TIP
- Gonzaga opens the 2026 Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Championships against fourth-seeded Oregon State in the tournament's semifinals in the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas Monday at 6 p.m.
- The Bulldogs are coming off a 70-59 setback at Saint Mary's to finish the regular season on Feb. 28. Graham Ike had 17 points for Gonzaga before fouling out with four minutes left. Adam Miller scored 14 and Tyon Grant-Foster added 13 for the Bulldogs. Emmanuel Innocenti grabbed nine rebounds and had four assists. The Gaels rallied for their 26th straight home win after GU led 36-29 at halftime.
- Gonzaga is the top seed in the WCC Tournament for the first time since 2022. Including this year, the Zags have been the top seed 12 of the 18 times the tournament has been in Las Vegas since 2009.
- GU is looking to extend its NCAA record with a 29th straight conference championship game appearance.
- Ike is eight points from being only the 86th player in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 2,500 points in a career.
- Ike is first in the nation among active scorers in NCAA Div. 1 with 2,492 points. His 1,118 rebounds also ranks second among active players. He is the only active player with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
- Ike set a program record in the modern era for most consecutive 20-point games, with nine straight, ending Wednesday versus Portland with 19 points (Adam Morrison, 8 games, 2006; Derek Raivio, 8 games, 2006; Ike, 7 games, 2024). Ike is 17th in the nation, and first in the WCC, with 13 double-doubles.
- The Zags currently lead the WCC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.87, 6th in NCAA), assists (18.2, 15th), bench points (35.06, 4th), effective field goal percentage (.563, 27th), fast-break points (14.8, 27th), field goal percentage (51.1, 7th), field goal percentage defense (39.7, 16th), defensive rebounds per game (28.1, 13th), scoring margin (19.7, 5th), scoring offense (86.0, 17th), turnover margin (5.0, 4th), and turnovers (9.7, 30th). GU tops the nation in points in the paint at 45.2 per game, and has outscored its opponents by 342 points inside-the-arc, which leads the country. The Bulldogs have also made 308 more shots from the field than their opponents. Gonzaga leads the nation in rebound and turnover combined margin at +414. (Florida 2nd, +395)
- The Bulldogs' 35 kill shots, which are 10-0 scoring runs, are the third-most in the country.
- Eight different Zags have led the team in scoring in a game this season. Seven GU players have scored at least 20 points in a game, and 11 have reached double-digit scoring. Six Bulldogs are 1,000-point scorers.
- Head Coach Mark Few returns as a finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
- GU has played seven games against teams projected in the NCAA Tournament, going 5-2 in those games.
- The Bulldogs also clinched the eighth undefeated home season in McCarthey Athletic Center history (since 2004-05), and the 13th in conference play, along with the first since 2021-22.
­­­­
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
- Oregon State advanced to the West Coast Conference tournament semifinals with a 78-77 win over San Francisco in Sunday's quarterfinals. The Beavers trailed 11-0 to start the game, before battling back to claim the victory. Dez White finished with 18 points in his return from injury, knocking down six of his eight 3-point attempts. Josiah Lake II also finished with 18 points, and added seven assists and four rebounds. Isaiah Sy tallied 12 points. As a team, the Beavers shot 47.3 percent from the floor and 45.8 percent from 3-point range. OSU out-scored the Dons 37-2 in bench points.
- Prior to the win over Washington State, the Beavers rallied for an overtime victory at San Diego last Saturday. Oregon State trailed 59-49 with 1:45 remaining in regulation, before rallying for the 78-76 win.
- Lake II averages a team-high 13.2 points per game, with a team-high 134 assists and 46 steals. Sy averages 10.1 points. White adds 9.9 points per outing, and has made a team-best 66 three-pointers at 39 percent.
- Johan Munch averages a team-high 5.2 rebounds.
 
SERIES INFO
- This is the 31st all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Oregon State. The Beavers own a 26-4 advantage in the series. After not meeting since 1991, the Pacific Northwest programs separated by 437 miles played twice last season, splitting the games.
- In the lone matchup this season, Graham Ike matched his career high with 35 points and No. 6 Gonzaga picked up an 81-61 road victory at Oregon State on Feb. 7. Tyon Grant-Foster added 15 points for the Zags. Isaiah Sy had 13 points for Oregon State. GU matched a program-low two turnovers in the road victory.
- The schools first met on Feb. 20, 1911, a 13-11 Bulldog win in Spokane.
- Prior to Gonzaga's win last season, Oregon State had won the previous 13 matchups, dating back to a 27-24 GU victory in 1932.
 
UP NEXT
- With a win, Gonzaga plays in the 2026 Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Tournament Championships in the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas Tuesday at 6 p.m.
- The Zags' opponent will be the winner of Monday's second semifinal between second-seeded Saint Mary's and a team to be determined.
 
VIVA LAS ZAGAS
- Gonzaga is 68-17 all-time in the West Coast Conference Tournament with 22 titles and 31 finals appearances, including each of the last 28 seasons.
- The Zags are 54-6 under Mark Few in the WCC Tournament with title-game appearances in all 26 seasons.
- The Zags are 35-4 in the WCC Tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas.
- GU's four losses in the event in Las Vegas have all been to Saint Mary's, the 2010, 2012, 2019 and 2024 championship games.
- The Bulldogs were 34-13 in the conference tournament prior to it coming to Vegas.
- The Zags have never lost an opening game of the tournament in Las Vegas, winning all 17.
- Gonzaga has won the opening game of tournament the past 28 years, dating back to a loss in 64-59 in the 1997 quarterfinals to fourth-seeded San Diego as a fifth-seed.
- The Bulldogs are 33-6 in opening games at the event, including 14-6 in the quarterfinals (nine straight wins).
- Gonzaga has won in the WCC tournament semifinals in each of the past 28 years. The Zags last loss in the WCC semifinals was 1994, 83-75, to San Diego in Santa Clara.
- The Bulldogs are 31-2 in semifinal games at the tournament, winning all 17 in Las Vegas. Gonzaga is 13-4 in the WCC Tournament finals played in Las Vegas.
- The Bulldogs are 22-9 in championship games at the tournament.
 
IKE ON WOODEN BALLOT
- Graham Ike was named to the 2026 Men's National
Ballot for the John R. Wooden Award the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced.
- Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory
Board, the National Ballot consists of 15 student-athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All
American Team and Wooden Award Trophy as the most
outstanding college basketball player.
- Voting will take place from March 16 to March 28,
and voters take into consideration a player's entire season of play, as well as the opening rounds of the NCAA
Tournament. The finalists for the 2026 Wooden Award will be announced on April 4.
 
MAKE THAT NUMBER 27
- Gonzaga has clinched at least a share of its 27th West Coast Conference regular season title.
- Gonzaga has 27 WCC regular season titles, Coach Few has led the Bulldogs to 23 of those first place finishes.
- Since 1997-98, the Bulldogs have either won or shared 25 of the 29 regular season titles, sharing only four (2022-24 with Saint Mary's, 2015-16 with Saint Mary's, 2010-11 with Saint Mary's, 2001-02 with Pepperdine). SMC won the last two regular season titles, along with 2011-12, and Pepperdine took the 1999-2000 title, with Gonzaga second in all those years.
- The Zags shared the title with Santa Clara in 1995-96, and won it outright in 1993-94, 1997-98, and 1998-99.
 
BACK AS THE TOP SEED IN VEGAS
- Gonzaga has clinched the top seed in the West Coast Conference Championships in Las Vegas.
- The top two seeds in the postseason event earn four byes to the semifinals on March 9.
- Including this season, Gonzaga has been the top seed in the WCC Tournament in 12 of the 17 years that the event has been in Las Vegas since 2009. The other five years, GU has been the second seed.
 
IKE NAMED WCC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
- Gonzaga's Graham Ike was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year.
- The Colorado native becomes the 21st Bulldog to earn the honor, but the first since 2023.
- The Zags' Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Supéry were both selected to the conference's All-Freshman Team.
- All six major individual awards – along with the All-West Coast Conference Teams and the All-Freshman Team – were voted on solely by the WCC head coaches.
 
HUFF AND INNOCENTI ACADEMIC ALL-WCC
- Braden Huff and Emmanuel Innocenti were named to the West Coast Conference Academic Team. Braeden Smith and Steele Venters were honorable mention.
- Huff, who received the honor for the second straight season, boasts a 3.37 grade point average as a Business Administration major, with a concentration in marketing. Innocenti has 3.40 GPA as a Sport Management major.
- Smith is a Philosophy major with a 3.56 GPA, and Venters is a Sport and Athletic Administration graduate student with a 3.20 GPA.
 
HOLLYWOOD BULLDOGS
- The sports documentary GONZAGA: THE SLIPPER STILL FITS on Tubi, Fox Corporation's free ad-supported streaming service, as part of its exclusive partnership with Teton Ridge Entertainment, is out now.
- Fans can stream the documentary live for free exclusively on Tubi.
- The Tubi Original documentary features a close look at one of college basketball's most impressive programs, focusing on the perennial Cinderella team that has become a powerhouse.
- The feature-length film is fueled by GU head coach Mark Few's relentless intensity and showcases how the Gonzaga Bulldogs turn their underdog players into NBA stars. The feature-length documentary also traces the history of Gonzaga basketball and the university's commitment to hard work, loyalty and humility growing from a small college program to a national powerhouse.
- GONZAGA: THE SLIPPER STILL FITS includes interviews with notable Gonzaga alumni active in the NBA, including 2025 NBA Champion Chet Holmgren (OKC), Andrew Nembhard (IND), Jalen Suggs (ORL) and Domantas Sabonis (SAC). Additional featured talent includes: Few, former professional basketball player and current Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, former professional basketball player Adam Morrison and former professional basketball player John Stockton.
 
FEW NAMED FINALIST FOR HALL OF FAME
- For the second straight season, Mark Few is a finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
- The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the selection of Finalists for its Class of 2026 from the following committees: North American, Women's, Men's Veterans, Women's Veterans, International, and Contributors. The finalists will then be put forward to the Honors Committee to be considered for election as members of the Class of 2026. The new class will be announced on April 4.
- There are 20 finalists, with 11 from the North American Committee, including coaches Gary McKnight, Dick Motta, Doc Rivers, Kelvin Sampson, and Jerry Welsh.
 
NEARING THE THIRTY-WIN CLUB
- Gonzaga is two wins from the 30-win plateau for the ninth time in program history, and first since 2022-23.
- GU has reached 30 wins in a season eight times, all coming in the last 14 years; 32-3 in 2012-13, 35-3
in 2014-15, 37-2 in 2016-17, 32-5 in 2017-18, 33-4 in 2018-19, 31-2 in 2019-20, 31-1 in 2021-22.
- Gonzaga is the only program in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach post five consecutive 30-win seasons, accomplishing the feat from 2016-17 to 2021-22.
- GU has finished with 29 wins three previous times.
 
BALANCED BULLDOGS
- Eight different Zags have led the team in scoring in a game this season. Seven GU players have scored at least 20 points in a game, and 11 have double-digits.
- Seven different Bulldogs have led in rebounds in a game. Six have grabbed at least eight boards.
- Seven Zags average at least seven points per game.
- Eight GU players are playing at least 18 minutes.
- Six Bulldogs have reached the 1,000-point mark in their careers.
 
SCORING BREAKDOWN
- Gonzaga tops the nation averaging 32.7 made field goals per game, and is second in second half scoring margin (9.8). The Bulldogs are second in extra scoring chances per game (8.3), and second in percentage of points from two-pointers (60.6).
- GU has outscored its opponents by 342 points inside-the-arc, which leads the country. (Arizona, 2nd, 235)
- The Bulldogs have also made 308 more shots from the field than their opponents, that also leads NCAA Div. 1, with St. Louis second at 226.
- The Zags' 35 kill shots, which are 10-0 scoring runs, are the third-most in the country. During the WCC games, GU has long runs of 21-0 (LMU), 18-0 (at Pepperdine), 17-0 (Santa Clara), 16-0 (Portland), 15-0 (Washington State), 12-0 (USF), 10-0 (San Diego, Pepperdine, and at OSU), 9-0 (at Washington State, at Seattle, Saint Mary's, and at San Francisco), 8-0 (Seattle, at Portland, and at Santa Clara).
- All but seven of GU's wins have been by double-digits.
 
GOLDEN GRAHAM
- Graham Ike is first in the nation among active players with 2,492 career points. His 1,118 rebounds rank second. No other player has 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Tucker DeVries of Indiana is second in points with 2,400 points. Notre Dame's Carson Towt's 1,351 rebounds are the most for an active player.
- Ike also leads the country with 958 field goals made in his career, and is fifth with 531 made free-throws.
- His 44 career double-doubles rank third.
- Ike scored at least 20 points in nine straight, before finishing with 19 points against Portland, which is the longest streak by a Gonzaga player under Head Coach Mark Few (Adam Morrison, 8 games, 2006; Derek Raivio, 8 games, 2006; Ike, 7 games, 2024).
- Ike leads WCC with three 30-point games this season, all in the past 11 games, matching the total from his first 131 career games.
- His 13 double-doubles this season ranks 17th in the nation. He had two games with nine rebounds with double-digit scoring. He's reached double-digit scoring in all but one game.
- Ike recorded his WCC-leading 13th double-double of season in the win at Santa Clara, passing Drew Timme for the most games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds (16) by a Gonzaga player in the last 30 seasons.
- Ike ranks first in the WCC in scoring (19.7), second in rebounding (8.3), and first in field goal percentage (.564). In WCC play, he is first in scoring (21.9), in field goal percentage (.613), and second in rebounds (8.2).
- Ike is close to being just the 17th Bulldog, and first since 2015-16, to end a season averaging 20 points.
- Ike's 1,714 points in his three seasons at Gonzaga ranks ninth in program history. He is 10 points from passing Ronny Turiaf for eighth.
- Ike has the best player efficiency rating (30.3), true shooting percentage (.644), and usage percentage (29.7) all-time at Gonzaga.
- Ike has 736 rebounds in his three seasons at Gonzaga, just 21 away from the program's Top-10.
- His 59.1 field goal percentage ranks ninth currently all-time at Gonzaga.
- In the 10 games this season against Oklahoma (19 pts), Creighton (20), Arizona State (20), Alabama (21), Maryland (13), Kentucky (28), UCLA (25), Oregon (17), Santa Clara (34), and Saint Mary's (30); Ike has averaged 22.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting from the field. He's added 8.8 rebounds, 25 assists, five blocks, and five steals. He made 11-of-23 from three (47.8) and 54-of-65 from the free-throw line (83.1). He has six double-doubles over that 10-game span.
- Ike was named preseason All-American by CBS Sports and ESPN. During his career he was named First Team All-Mountain West Conference, First Team All-WCC twice, All-District twice, Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Top 10 three times, Associated Press honorable mention All-American.
 
BULLDOG BLOCKADE
- Gonzaga's defense has held seven opponents to their season-lows in scoring this season.
- Against Portland in Spokane on Feb. 25, the Zags held the Pilots to a season-low 48 points, and forced Portland into a season-high 22 turnovers.
- In back-to-back games, against Washington State in Spokane, the Cougars were limited to season-lows of 53 points and 21 rebounds. In Corvallis, Oregon State also grabbed a season-low 21 rebounds. The Beavers were limited to a season-low 43 attempts from the field, which matched the second-fewest by a GU opponent since 2004. WSU's 46 field goal attempts were its second-lowest output of the season.
- Seattle also committed a season-high 18 turnovers against the Bulldogs on Jan. 17.
- Campbell had a season-high 20 turnovers.
- Kentucky was held to a season-low 26.7 percent shooting from the field, with a season-low 16 made shots from the field.
- Southern Utah was held to a season-low 50 points on a season-low 29.5 percent from the field, 16 percent from three (4/25), grabbed a season-low 26 rebounds, and committed a season-high 23 turnovers.
- Arizona State was held to a season-low 36.2 percent shooting from the field with a season-low 21 makes.
- Oklahoma committed a season-high 16 turnovers.
- Texas Southern was held to a season-low 43 points, with season-lows of 15 makes from the field and 25.4 percent shooting, including 14 percent from 3 (3/21).