Brian Michaelson says Gonzaga has 'a lot of hunger' to beat UCLA after last year's loss

The Gonzaga Bulldogs and UCLA Bruins are two of the strongest college basketball programs on the West Coast, and although they have never been in the same conference, they have developed one of the best rivalries in the sport over the past two decades.

A trio of electric NCAA Tournament matchups fueled the fire, starting with UCLA coming from 17 points down to defeat Gonzaga in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, ending Adam Morrison's illustrious career in Spokane.

Gonzaga returned the favor in a major way in 2021, when Jalen Suggs sank a 37-foot buzzer-beater to send the Zags to the national championship against Baylor after an incredibly hard-fought game against the plucky No. 11-seeded Bruins. Gonzaga got coach Mick Cronin and UCLA again two years later in the Sweet 16, with Julian Strawther hitting a game-winning three from the top of the key to send his team to the Elite Eight.

These two teams have also squared off in the regular season, with Gonzaga defeating UCLA in the Maui Invitational in 2024 and UCLA beating Gonzaga last year at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, 65-62.

Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson spoke about the longstanding rivalry with UCLA and how the team is preparing for a rematch after last year's agonizing loss.

Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Brian Michaelson (left) and forward Tyon Grant-Foster (right). | Photo by Erik Smith

"It's been a great rivalry series for a lot of years," Michaelson told Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI. "We've had some incredible NCAA Tournament battles. We have a handful of guys that played in that game last year and they know the toughness and physicality of that game. They obviously know that we lost right at the end of that game which could have gone either way. So I think there's a lot of hunger for those guys that were a part of that."

The three returners who were on the floor against UCLA last year for Gonzaga include the superstar frontcourt duo of Graham Ike and Braden Huff, as well as guard Emmanuel Innocenti. Ismaila Diagne was on the bench but did not suit up, while Braeden Smith, Jalen Warley, and Steele Venters were all on the roster and redshirting.

Michaelson went into more specifics about this year's matchup, noting how unique UCLA's roster construction is and how it will present a challenge for Gonzaga in ways that previous matchups have not.

Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Brian Michaelson (left) and head coach Mark Few (right). | Photo by Erik Smith

"The style of play, how good they are on the glass, how good they are defensively," Michaelson said about the challenges of facing this UCLA team. "This year they have two bigs that can really shoot the ball. It's going to be a challenge stylistically that we really haven't faced as much. And then there's going to be a different form of adversity, it's going to be really physical and that will continue to help us. We've had a great schedule so far, this continues that, but I do think that there's some things with the physicality, the toughness, the culture of that program, the winning pedigree, and then the age that they bring, just like we bring, is going to make for a really good game."

A fully healthy UCLA team features 6'11 center Xavier Booker, 6'9 forward Tyler Bilodeau, and 6'8 forward Eric Dailey, all in the starting lineup - giving Gonzaga a rare look at a team that can match them up front.

Those three are also all adept three-point shooters, with Dailey shooting 44.4% on 3.4 attempts per game, followed by Bilodeau at 34.6% on 3.7 attempts, and Booker at an excellent 50% clip, but a small 7-14 sample size.

That, combined with the elite shooting of starting two guard Skyy Clark (51.4%) and contributions from reserve guard Trent Perry (36.8%), makes this team a dangerous one from the perimeter. UCLA will be able to space the floor and pull Ike and Huff away from the rim, which should open up driving lanes for superstar point guard and New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent.

Dec 3, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55). | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Dent has not played as well as advertised through UCLA's first nine games, although he's still averaging 12.0 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He's a non-shooter from deep but loves to get downhill to the rim, and will challenge Gonzaga's lack of rim protection down low.

Gonzaga (9-1) has not had a single game determined by less than 10 points this year, but UCLA's slow pace, physicality, and strong outside shooting could make this the closest game the Zags have played all season long - and will give fans a chance to see how this group responds to adversity in real time.

"Definitely a program we have a ton of respect for and kind of a rivalry that started in some of these NCAA Tournament games, these have been incredible, incredible battles," Michaelson continued. "It's been really really cool to be a part of and Saturday should be another one."

The game is set to tip off on Saturday at 8:30 PM PT and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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