5 reasons Gonzaga fans should be excited for the 2026-27 season

The Bulldogs enter a new era with plenty of questions still to answer - but also plenty to like

Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Brian Michaelson. | Photo by Erik Smith

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have had a chaotic roller coaster of an offseason, with multiple surprise departures, NCAA confusion, and recently an influx of talented players becoming available just when the team needed them the most.

Even now, in mid-August, the Zags do not have a full roster - with at least one open spot and as many as three depending on if the NCAA grants eligibility to international commits Nathan de Sousa and Izan Almansa.

But through it all, the staff managed to build a roster that is incredibly talented and compelling, especially as the program joins a new conference in the Pac-12. With all the changes, it's not hard to see why this upcoming season is among the most exciting in program history.

Below are five specific reasons fans should be excited about taking in Gonzaga basketball in 2026-27:

1. Davis Fogle is poised for a breakout

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Davis Fogle. | Photo by Lane Mathews

Davis Fogle's freshman season was one of the most impressive in Gonzaga basketball history, at least in terms of expectations vs. reality. Fogle began the year buried deep on GU's bench, but showed a seemingly impossible knack for finding the net - averaging a ridiculous 7.7 points in 8.7 minutes per game through the month of December.

He then developed into a complete, well-rounded perimeter player who was a key part of the Zags' rotation down the stretch. And now, as one of just two returners who played big minutes last year, Fogle is a clear-cut breakout candidate in college basketball.

Starting on the wing, Fogle will get every opportunity to score 15-20 points per game, and if he improves on his outside shooting and facilitation skills, he could find himself in the NBA draft conversation before the year is up.

2. The Pac-12 brings new rivalries and road trips

Oregon State forward Michael Rataj. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

After 46 years, Gonzaga left the West Coast Conference to join the new look Pac-12, alongside stalwart programs Oregon State and Washington State, as well as Texas State from the Sun Belt and five former Mountain West schools in Boise State, Utah State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Fresno State.

The league has a chance to regularly put 2-3 programs into the expanded 76-team NCAA Tournament on a yearly basis, and Gonzaga will play tougher opponents in bigger, louder road environments than they dealt with in the WCC.

Road trips to Viejas Arena in San Diego, Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah, and, of course, ExtraMile Arena in Boise will generate plenty of excitement for Gonzaga fans who are ready to move on from the trips to Portland, Stockton, and Malibu.

3. Gonzaga could have one of the nation’s best frontcourts

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34). | Photo by Mercedes Smith

Braden Huff returns for his fifth season, coming off an outstanding 2025-26 campaign that was unfortunately cut short due to a knee injury suffered in mid-January.

Coach Few reported that Huff is at 100% right now, and he is perfectly set up to dominate this upcoming season on a roster tailor-made for him.

The 6'10 big man averaged 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds last year, and could be in line for an All-American campaign alongside Fogle, elite sharpshooter Chauncey Wiggins, and arguably Gonzaga's best addition of the offseason - center Massamba Diop.

Diop is a hulking 7'0 big man from Arizona State who averaged 13.6 points and 2.2 blocks per game last year for the Sun Devils. He brings elite rim protection and finishing to this Gonzaga roster, and the duo of him and Huff will be a nightmare for opposing frontcourts all season long.

4. The Zags should shoot the ball better

Feb 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Chauncey Wiggins (7) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last year was the worst three-point shooting team in coach Few's history at Gonzaga, a feat no one is hoping to repeat in 2026-27.

Even after losing the team's top two shooters from last year - Mario Saint-Supery and Steele Venters - Gonzaga should be better from beyond the arc this year, especially after landing a commitment from Florida State forward Chauncey Wiggins.

Wiggins hit 39% of his nearly six attempts per game last year with the 'Noles, and at 6'10, he spaces the floor beautifully for Fogle, Huff, and Javon Bennett to get to their spots.

Bennett is also a high-volume three-point shooter, while a pair of newcomers on the wing - Skylar Wicks and Luca Foster - both project to bring plus three-point shooting to Spokane.

5. Gonzaga is building a battle-tested schedule

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga has yet to finalize their non-conference slate, but what is known already is proof this team is not shying away from the big boys - even with a stronger conference schedule.

The Zags have games officially scheduled against Purdue (Nov. 2 in Las Vegas), LSU (Nov. 14 at Spokane Arena), UCLA (Dec. 5 in Anaheim), Creighton (Dec. 12 in Omaha), Michigan State (Dec. 19 in Palm Springs) and Duke (Feb. 20 in Detroit).

That doesn't include potential matchups against teams like Michigan, Miami, and Alabama in the Players Era Festival, as well as any other non-con games yet to be finalized. The Zags will very likely play a game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, with Oregon a potential opponent after the two teams played last year in Portland.

Regardless, a schedule featuring Duke, UCLA, Michigan State, and Purdue is going to ensure this team is battle-tested heading into the Pac-12, where the Zags will try to claim the first conference title in the new-look league - while making another deep run in March.