3 keys to victory for Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Kennesaw State in NCAA Tournament

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs take on Antoine Pettway and the Kennesaw State Owls on Thursday in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The game is set to tip at 7:00 PM PT at the Moda Center in Portland, OR, and will be broadcast on TBS.

Kennesaw State is playing in their second ever NCAA Tournament game, reaching the Big Dance after rattling off three straight wins in the Conference USA Tournament to secure the automatic bid despite a sixth place finish in league play.

The Owls are a fast-paced, young, physical team that cleans up on the offensive glass, gets to the free throw line, and plays at an elite tempo thanks to coach Pettway's experience working under Alabama coach Nate Oats.

Gonzaga has not lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament since 2008, and in order to avoid that fate again this year they will need to slow this team down, keep them off the perimeter, and perhaps most importantly - let the big man do his thing.

Below is a look at three keys to a Zag victory on Thursday:

1. Let Graham Ike eat

Kennesaw State coach Antoine Pettway was asked how his team planned to match up against Graham Ike ahead of Thursday's tilt, and he gave a rather candid answer:

"We've been praying a lot."

That might be KSU's only hope of containing the All-American big man, who has been one of the most dominant and effective scorers in college basketball this season.

The 6'9 senior averaged 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in his final season of eligibility, winning the WCC Player of the Year Award and earning AP All-American Third Team honors. He stepped up for the Zags when Braden Huff went down with a left knee injury, scoring over 22 points per game while leading Gonzaga to a 10-2 record down the stretch.

Kennesaw State is a physical team with decent size, but they don't have anyone who can handle Ike one-on-one down low, and Gonzaga needs to make sure they don't settle for outside shots and instead pound the ball to the big man and let him go to work around the block.

2. Get out to a fast start

Kennesaw State is playing in their second ever NCAA Tournament game on Thursday, and they played three games in three days to win the Conference USA Tournament, before embarking on a cross-country trip to Portland in order to be here.

This team is going to bring every bit of energy they have to this game, but the gas tank is likely nearing empty for the Owls at this point.

The best thing Gonzaga can do is get out to a quick start, not only on the scoreboard but by running out in transition early and often and forcing Kennesaw State to run with them.

This Owls team loves to play fast - they have the 19th fastest tempo in CBB according to KenPom - but they don't have the athletes Gonzaga does, and depth and fatigue will be major factors on Thursday night.

3. Defend the Perimeter

Kennesaw State shot 33.7% from three against D1 opponents this season - but that did not stop them from shooting a ton throughout the year. Coach Antoine Pettway is a disciple of Nate Oats, so it's no surprise to see his team hoisting up 26.9 attempts per game, which ranks 56th in the country.

Though they only make 9.4 per game, the clearest recipe to a major upset in March is a smaller team getting red hot from the perimeter.

Gonzaga has done an excellent job against the three this year - holding opponents to 30.8% - but they have had their struggles as of late, including against USF in late January and at Oregon State and at Saint Mary's in February. A hot shooting game from the Owls could spell trouble for Gonzaga on Thursday in Portland.