5 keys to victory for Gonzaga Bulldogs against Oklahoma Sooners

Gonzaga welcomes Oklahoma to the Spokane Arena on Saturday night

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few has never been afraid to challenge his Gonzaga Bulldogs early in the season, and 2025-26 is no different.

After a comfortable 55-point win over Texas Southern on Monday, Gonzaga gets thrown right into the fire against the Oklahoma Sooners — an NCAA Tournament team last year with a very strong group of additions via the transfer portal.

Gonzaga will take on Oklahoma Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Spokane Arena. Tip is slated for 7:30 PM and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Gonzaga, ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP poll, will be favored against unranked Oklahoma, but coach Moser's group features one of the most experienced guards in the country in Nijel Pack, a former 15-point-per-game scorer in the ACC in Tae Davis, and a mid-major superstar in former Saint Joseph's guard Xzayvier Brown.

The Zags will need to take advantage of their elite frontcourt duo of Graham Ike and Braden Huff, and their veteran group of guards and wings, to leave the arena with a W on Saturday, heading into another excellent matchup against No. 23 Creighton on Tuesday at the Kennel.

Here are five keys things Gonzaga needs to do on Saturday against Oklahoma.

1. Play lockdown perimeter defense

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Emmanuel Innocenti (5). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Oklahoma's backcourt duo of Nijel Pack and Xzayvier Brown could spell trouble for Gonzaga thanks to their elite outside shooting. Pack is a career 40.4% shooter from three, with 317 career makes, while Brown has 355 career makes at a 37.7% clip.

Gonzaga has often struggled defending the perimeter in the Mark Few era, and while the team has some obviously excellent wing defenders — like Emmanuel Innocenti, Jalen Warley, and Tyon Grant-Foster — the two point guards, Braeden Smith and Mario Saint-Supery, will have their hands full with these two.

Gonzaga will need to stay disciplined on ball screen actions and avoid the tendency to abandon their man on the perimeter to help on drives, else this Sooners squad gets plenty of open looks from deep — and that could be a major problem for the Zags.

2. Dominate on the glass

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Oklahoma ended up comfortably out-rebounding Saint Francis (KenPom: 348) on Monday, but at halftime, they were losing the battle on the boards, 20-19.

Gonzaga's frontcourt is far more of a challenge for the Sooners, who will likely deploy returner Mo Wague and Notre Dame transfer Tae Davis against Graham Ike and Braden Huff, respectively.

The Zags need to prevent Oklahoma from getting many second-chance opportunities, which means battling down low with the bigs, but also the perimeter players being diligent. Oklahoma shoots a lot of threes, which often result in long rebounds. Grant-Foster, Innocenti, and Gonzaga's other wings will need to make sure they aren't lapsing on the box outs, or risk giving up too many open looks.

3. Let Tyon Grant-Foster cook

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Tyon Grant-Foster (7). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Grant-Foster was not supposed to start for Gonzaga on Monday, with coach Few making it clear he thinks the 6'7 wing still needs time to marinate before he unleashes him fully into this lineup and rotation.

However, Grant-Foster's skills are crucial for Gonzaga in this matchup in particular, and limiting his minutes would be a big mistake. Grant-Foster is a prolific offensive rebounder and hell-raiser in transition, and his tenacity attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line could be the big difference in this game on Saturday.

There's no doubt Grant-Foster's understanding of Gonzaga's system will improve as the year goes on, but while he's still learning the ropes, there's no reason not to let the man cook out on the court.

4. Get into Oklahoma's frontcourt depth

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Oklahoma has two great starters up front in Wague and Davis, but the depth behind them is unproven to say the least. Kuol Atak is a 6'9 redshirt freshman who dominated his first-ever collegiate game on Monday, but the Sooners' depth after him is really thin — particularly if 4-star freshman center Kai Rogers doesn't suit up. Rogers did not play in the opener and coach Moser called him 'day-to-day', while other reports indicate he's unlikely to play on Saturday.

Wague has a history of foul issues dating back to his time at Alabama, and Ike's ability to draw contact and get to the line is among the best in the country. If Huff can improve on that skill-set, Oklahoma could be forced to play large chunks of this game with either a very small, or very unproven, frontcourt — and that might be all Gonzaga needs to roll to a victory.

5. Win point guard battle

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Braeden Smith (3). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Pack is one of the oldest players in college basketball, having played high major basketball every season since 2020, first at Kansas State for two years before the last three seasons at Miami, which included just nine games last year due to injury.

He'll use that experience — and prolific outside shooting — to try to cause all sorts of problems for Gonzaga defensively, and Moser will give him the freedom and opportunity to do so.

Smith and Saint-Supery have shown flashes of excellence in Gonzaga's exhibition game and the Texas Southern matchup, but they haven't had to deal with anyone like Pack or Brown, and that could make a major difference on Saturday.