Gonzaga draws matchup against in-state rival in preseason bracketology report

The 2025-26 college basketball season is officially upon us, with Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs set to take on Texas Southern Monday evening in Spokane.

Few and the Zags are embarking on their final campaign as members of the West Coast Conference, a league they have dominated over the past quarter-century. To date, Few has never missed an NCAA Tournament, a streak that is widely expected to continue in 2026.

With the season tipping off, final preseason bracketology projections are being released, including one from Rocco Miller at The Bracketeer. Miller has Gonzaga projected as a No. 6 seed, where they would play first and second round games in Portland, OR. Gonzaga's first projected matchup is against the winner of a play-in game between the Clemson Tigers out of the ACC and an in-state rival of Gonzaga's in the Washington Huskies out of the Big Ten.

Washington comes in at No. 45 in KenPom's preseason rankings, while Clemson sits at No. 32. The Huskies have a new look roster in the second year of the Danny Sprinkle era, bringing in high-profile transfers like Desmond Claude and Wesley Yates, as well as star international freshman Hannes Steinbach from Germany and point guard JJ Mandaquit. With Zoom Diallo stepping into a bigger role, this team has the depth and talent to easily surpass last year's disappointing season and push for a spot in the big dance.

Meanwhile, Clemson lost of ton of talent from last year's team to graduation, but should still have plenty of offensive firepower between forward Nick Davidson and guards Dillon Hunter and Jestin Porter.

Gonzaga would certainly like a seed higher than No. 6, but getting to play in Portland and against a team that will have just played a few days prior is far from a bad draw for coach Few's team. A win would set up a matchup between the winner of the No. 3 vs No. 14 game, which Miller projects to be between the BYU Cougars and the Utah Valley Wolverines — each traveling to Portland to play despite campuses located roughly five miles from each other.

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Erik Smith

The Zags are one of two WCC teams in Miller's projected field of 68, alongside the Gaels of Saint Mary's, who earned a No. 7 seed and a date with the Marquette Golden Eagles in Greenville.

Other Gonzaga opponents in Miller's bracket include Kentucky (1 seed), Alabama (4), UCLA (5), Creighton (6), Oklahoma (7), and Oregon (10), with San Francisco among the next four out.

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