Gonzaga draws potential Pac-12 matchup in latest Joe Lunardi Bracketology report

Gonzaga is 12-1 through non-conference play

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Steele Venters (2). | Photo by Mercedes Smith

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs finished non-conference play with a 12-1 record after defeating the Oregon Ducks, 91-82, on Sunday afternoon in Portland.

Gonzaga will now head into its final season as a member of the West Coast Conference, looking for one more league title before the NCAA Tournament.

GU's dominance this season - which includes eight wins over power conference opponents - has put them squarely in the conversation as a top two seed in March, with Joe Lunardi of ESPN slotting them on the No. 2 line in his latest Bracketology report on Tuesday.

Gonzaga is matched up in Portland against No. 15 seed New Mexico State, the automatic qualifier out of Conference USA. The Aggies are 7-3 on the year with a win over rival New Mexico, as well as UC Irvine and Sam Houston State, but losses to South Alabama, Abilene Christian, and Tulsa.

The 7-10 matchup in Gonzaga's pod is between No. 7 Utah State and No. 10 Miami, potentially setting up a preview of what could develop into a Pac-12 rivalry between the Zags and Aggies.

Utah State is 10-1 on the year with wins over VCU, Davidson, Illinois State, and a huge 100-58 blowout over Colorado State to begin conference play. Both Utah State and Colorado State will join Gonzaga in the new-look Pac-12 in 2026-27, alongside Oregon State, Washington State, San Diego State, Boise State, Fresno State, and Texas State.

Gonzaga's region also features a potential second-round matchup between Tommy Lloyd and No. 1 seed Arizona and Randy Bennett and No. 8 seed Saint Mary's, an incredibly fun battle between two opposing styles of play.

Dec 16, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd. | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The West Region also features No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Nebraska, and No. 5 Florida, so Gonzaga's path to the Final Four in this bracket would need to go through quite a few powerhouse programs.

Of Gonzaga's 13 non-conference opponents, five of them are in Lunardi's updated field of 68: Michigan (1 seed), Alabama (4 seed), Kentucky (7 seed), UCLA (8 seed), and Oklahoma (12 seed). Arizona State is among the first four out, alongside Oklahoma State, Boise State, and Cal, while Creighton, Oregon, and Maryland are notably not included.

Saint Mary's is the lone representative from the WCC outside of Gonzaga, with Santa Clara and San Francisco failing to win the necessary games in non-conference to justify an at-large bid at this point in the season.

Next up for Gonzaga is a road trip to Malibu to take on the Pepperdine Waves on Sunday, Dec. 28 at 5:00 PM PT.

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