SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga men’s basketball released its 14-game non-conference schedule for the upcoming season Wednesday.
The non-conference slate features seven games inside the McCarthey Athletic Center, plus a home exhibition. During their non-conference schedule, the Zags face a potential of six teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, and another that played in the postseason. The Bulldogs face both teams that played in the 2023 national championship game. Seven non-conference opponents won 20 or more games in 2022-23 and finished inside the Top 125 in last year’s NET rankings.
Gonzaga plays teams from nine different conferences, including the Big Ten, Big East, Pac-12, SEC and potentially the ACC and Big 12. The Bulldogs are a participant in this year’s Maui Invitational and two more neutral site games.
On Nov. 3, the Zags face Lewis-Clark State in an exhibition inside the McCarthey Athletic Center, before starting the regular season at home versus Yale on Nov. 10. Yale won 21 games last season and the Ivy League regular season title. Yale has won Ivy League regular season championships in three of the last four seasons and has four NCAA Tournament berths since 2016. Yale welcomes back the reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year in Bez Mbeng and unanimous First Team Ivy League selection Matt Knowling.
Gonzaga hosts Eastern Oregon on Nov. 14. The Mountaineers went 21-11 last season and advanced to the NAIA national tournament.
The Bulldogs then head to a stacked field at the 40th Maui Invitational. Along with GU, Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA and Chaminade will meet in Honolulu Nov. 20-22. The Zags face Purdue in the opening game. The Boilermakers are coming off one of their best season’s under head coach Matt Painter, which featured the national player of the year Zach Edey and he returns for the 2023-24 season.
The Bulldogs return home to host CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 28. Gonzaga has won all four meetings between the programs. The Roadrunners return leading scorer Kaleb Higgins for his senior season.
A matchup with USC in the Legends of Basketball Las Vegas Invitational follows on Dec. 2. The Trojans and Bulldogs meet for the third time. After a 22-win season, Southern California advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season in 2023. The Trojans have a dynamic backcourt of all-conference guard Boogie Ellis and the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023, Isaiah Collier.
On Dec. 5, GU welcomes Arkansas-Pine Bluff to Spokane. Shaun Doss Jr. is back for his final season with the Lions after averaging a team-high 17.6 points per game last year. For the second-straight season, Gonzaga and Washington play on Dec. 9. This season’s matchup in Seattle will be the 50th all-time meeting between the programs. The Huskies have won 30 of those meetings, but the Bulldogs have won the last seven, including last season’s 77-60 victory in Spokane.
Gonzaga and Mississippi Valley State meet for the third time on Dec. 11 in Spokane. The Zags cruised to a 97-63 win in the last meeting in 2016 at GU. A rematch of last season’s Elite Eight game between the Bulldogs and UConn follows on Dec. 15 in Seattle. Gonzaga and the defending national champs meet in the Continental Tire Seattle Tip-Off in Climate Pledge Arena. Plenty of key pieces from the Huskies 31-win national champion team return including Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban, and Donovan Clingan.
Home matchups against Jackson State (Dec. 20) and San Diego State (Dec. 29) are on both sides of the holiday break. It’s the first-ever meeting between GU and Jackson State. The Tigers top scorers from 2022-23 are back this season in Ken Evans Jr. (11.3 ppg) and Coltie Young (10.9 ppg). SDSU made a run to the national championship game, winning 32 games and claiming the Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament titles. Starters Darrion Trammell and Lamont Butler return for the Aztecs.
A rare February non-conference game is on the Bulldogs’ slate this season. Gonzaga makes its first trip to Rupp Arena for a matchup against Kentucky on Feb. 10. The Zags beat the Wildcats last season in the Spokane Arena, 88-72. Kentucky won 22 games in 2022-23 and had its season end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats return fifth-year star Antonio Reeves and welcomes in an impressive freshmen class along with key transfers.
Game times and television information will follow in the near future.
2023-24 Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Schedule
Date OpponentLocationNov. 3#Lewis-Clark StateSpokaneNov. 10 YaleSpokaneNov. 14 Eastern OregonSpokaneNov. 20%vs. PurdueHonolulu, HawaiiNov. 21%vs.Honolulu, HawaiiNov. 22%vs.Honolulu, HawaiiNov. 28 Cal State BakersfieldSpokane Dec. 2@vs. USCLas VegasDec. 5 Arkansas – Pine BluffSpokaneDec. 9 at WashingtonSeattleDec. 11 Mississippi Valley StateSpokaneDec. 15&vs. UConnSeattleDec. 20 Jackson StateSpokaneDec. 29 San Diego StateSpokane Jan. 4*PepperdineSpokaneJan. 6*San DiegoSpokaneJan. 11*at Santa ClaraSanta Clara, Calif.Jan. 18*at PepperdineMalibu, Calif.Jan. 20*at San DiegoSan Diego, Calif.Jan. 25*San FranciscoSpokaneJan. 27*at PacificStockton, Calif.Jan. 30*Loyola MarymountSpokane Feb. 3*Saint Mary’sSpokaneFeb. 7*PortlandSpokaneFeb. 10 at KentuckyLexington, Ky.Feb. 15*at Loyola MarymountLos AngelesFeb. 17*PacificSpokaneFeb. 22*at PortlandPortland, Ore.Feb. 24*Santa ClaraSpokaneFeb. 29*^at San FranciscoSan Francisco March 2*at Saint Mary’sMoraga, Calif. West Coast Conference ChampionshipsMarch 7!First RoundLas VegasMarch 8!Second RoundLas VegasMarch 9!QuarterfinalsLas VegasMarch 11!SemifinalsLas VegasMarch 12!FinalsLas Vegas
Home Game
# Exhibition
* West Coast Conference Games
% Maui Invitational (Stan Sheriff Center)
@ Legends of Basketball Las Vegas Invitational (MGM Grand Arena)
& Continental Tire Seattle Tip-Off (Climate Pledge Arena)
^ Game Played at Chase Center
! WCC Championships (Orleans Arena)
– All times are Pacific
