4 Pac-12 teams Gonzaga should be most worried about in 2026-27

It has been a massive offseason of change for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Zags lost 12 players and one coach from last year's 31-4 team, including the surprise late departure of starting point guard Mario Saint-Supery.

The Zags also had to replace Jack Kayil, a 6'5 guard from Germany who was expected to start before he unexpectedly kept his name in the NBA draft process.

As if all that wasn't enough, the program is also preparing for its first year in the new-look Pac-12 conference, leaving the WCC after 46 years to join a league that includes Oregon State, Washington State, Texas State, and five Mountain West defectors: San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State, Boise State, and Fresno State.

While Gonzaga's roster is still not finalized - the team is pursuing a starting caliber point guard and still has two players, Nathan de Sousa and Izan Almansa, in eligibility limbo - they are currently favored to win the Pac-12 in its first 'reborn' season.

However, there are a handful of competitors that will challenge the Zags in 2026-27, including two teams with new head coaches, one with nearly the same starting five as last year, and another that has battled Gonzaga extremely tough in the past.

Below is a look at the four biggest challengers to Gonzaga in the Pac-12 this upcoming season:

1. Utah State Aggies

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Utah State Aggies guard Mason Falslev (12) and forward Karson Templin (22) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Utah State is on its fifth head coach since 2020, a seemingly impossible fact when considering the Aggies have gone 147-56 (72.4%) in that stretch, including 78-33 (70.3%) in Mountain West play with two conference titles, five NCAA Tournament berths, and two appearances in the Round of 32.

After Craig Smith, Ryan Odom, Danny Sprinkle, and Jerrod Calhoun all moved on to power conference jobs at Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Cincinnati, respectively, it is now Ben Jacobson's job to keep the train rolling in Logan.

There is plenty of reason to think Jacobson will be able to do so after he went 397-259 (60.5%) in 20 seasons at Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley, making five NCAA Tournament appearances.

Jacobson also managed to convince superstar guard Mason Falslev to return for his senior year after he averaged 16 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists last season while shooting 56.7% on twos and 39% from three.

Falslev is joined by returners Karson Templin and Ace Reiser, as well as UNI transfer Will Hornseth and LA Tech guard AJ Bates, in what looks on paper to be the second most talented roster in the Pac-12 behind Gonzaga.

2. San Diego State Aztecs

Dec 20, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Elzie Harrington (3) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga and San Diego State have plenty of history, and most believe this will scratch the itch for Zag fans missing the heated rivalry against Saint Mary's. The Aztecs had a tough offseason, losing star players Magoon Gwath, Miles Byrd, and BJ Davis in the transfer portal to DePaul, Providence, and Creighton, respectively, while their biggest portal addition - Rice guard Nick Anderson - suffered a knee injury that will take him out for the entire 2026-27 campaign.

Still, Brian Dutcher is the second most accomplished coach in this conference, and transfer additions Chance Gladden (Boston), Isaiah Sy (Oregon State), and Jeremiah 'Bear' Cherry (Sacramento State) provide a strong core around returners Elzie Harrington and Tae Davis for the Aztecs.

If SDSU's international class - 6'9 forwards Luka Skoric and Luca Vincini, plus 6'2 Italian guard Davis Torresani - can make an impact right away, this team is plenty talented enough to challenge for the top spot in the Pac-12.

3. Colorado State Rams

Colorado State men's basketball coach Ali Farokhmanesh, right, talks to Carey Booth during a summer practice at the indoor practice facility on July 8, 2026, in Fort Collins, Colo. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Colorado State had a bit of a down year last year under first-year head coach Ali Farokhmanesh, although they still finished a respectable 21-13 overall and 11-9 in Mountain West play.

The key for the Rams is that Farokhmanesh managed an incredible amount of roster retention, bringing back five of the team's seven leading scorers: forwards Kyle Jorgensen (11.5 points) and Carey Booth (10.7) as well as guards Josh Pascarelli (10.2), Jase Butler (9.3), and Rashaan Mbemba (8.1).

The team's lone transfer portal addition, Justin Menard, is expected to step right into a starting role as well, after averaging 12.9 points and 3.8 assists last year at Marist.

Continuity is still crucial even in the NIL and transfer portal era, and assuming Farokhmanesh learned from his first year coaching mistakes, this Rams team is a sneaky dangerous one in the Pac-12.

4. Oregon State Beavers

Former Michigan assistant coach Justin Joyner. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Justin Joyner spent seven years as an assistant coach under Randy Bennett at Saint Mary's before jumping to Michigan to serve as associate head coach under Dusty May, where he helped lead the Wolverines to a national championship this past season.

Bringing him to Corvallis was a shrewd move by Oregon State, and he went out and assembled what looks to be among the most talented rosters in the Pac-12 - despite just one returner.

That returner, Josiah Lake II, is critical after he averaged 13.1 points and 4.2 assists last year for the Beavers, and he'll be joined by a very talented group of guards that includes Daniel Freitag (19.8 points at Buffalo), Chris Johnson (6.2 points at UCF), and DeShawn Gory (13.7 points at Fresno).

The frontcourt is the biggest question mark for Joyner's team, but high-upside big men Dennis Evans (Grand Canyon) and Xavion Staton (BYU) could reach their potential and vault this team into top-three consideration.

At the very least, Joyner has plenty of experience beating Gonzaga, which should make this year's game in Corvallis an intriguing one.

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