Gonzaga faces another tough test in top 25 matchup with Creighton Bluejays

Coach Mark Few is 3-0 all-time against Creighton heading into Tuesday's matchup

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

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are 2-0 after a comfortable 15 point win over the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, the first of multiple big time tests in the non-conference slate.

Test number two is right around the corner, with Greg McDermott and the Creighton Bluejays coming to town for a huge matchup on Tuesday night at the Kennel. Gonzaga is 3-0 against Creighton in the coach Few era, including a win in the 2021 NCAA Tournament - where they also beat Oklahoma.

Creighton is 1-0 on the year, defeating South Dakota on Wednesday, 92-76, behind 19 points from Iowa transfer Owen Freeman and 15 points, five assists, and three steals from guard Nik Graves.

It wasn't the prettiest performance from the Bluejays, who gave up a whopping 21 offensive rebounds to the Coyotes - and coach McDermott knows that kind of effort won't fly on Tuesday in Spokane.

“We need to hook it up tomorrow,” McDermott said Wednesday after their first game. “We need to hook it up Friday. We need to hook it up Sunday and Monday as we get ready for Gonzaga, because we’re not tough enough yet. We’re not physical enough yet, and we don’t need to do it because I’m mad and I’m upset. We need to do it because it’s the only way we’re going to reach our potential.”

McDermott couldn't have enjoyed watching Gonzaga snag 18 offensive boards against Oklahoma, especially with nine of them coming from bench forwards Tyon Grant-Foster and Jalen Warley.

Mar 22, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Creighton Bluejays head coach Greg McDermott. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Still, even with some lapses in game one, Creighton is a dangerous, talented team that will present matchup challenges for Gonzaga on Tuesday night.

It starts, much like it does with Gonzaga, in the frontcourt. Freeman did not start in his first game with the Bluejays, but he dropped 19 points on 9-11 shooting with four rebounds and a block in 19 minutes. The 6'10 big man was wildly productive at Iowa, and will be among the best two-way centers Gonzaga faces all season long.

Then there's Jackson McAndrew, a sophomore returner who is widely projected to be a breakout candidate this year - and who looked every bit the part with 13 points, seven boards, and a block on Wednesday, although he did shoot 4-12 from the field.

McAndrew and Freeman is among the best frontcourt duos on Gonzaga's schedule, although like Oklahoma the depth is a big question mark. Isaac Traudt had 10 points and seven rebounds in the opener, but averaged less than five points per game last year. Meanwhile, Turkish freshman Kerem Konan sat out the team's first game because of an eligibility issue, but is expected to make his college debut against the Zags.

Mar 22, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Creighton Bluejays forward Jackson McAndrew (23). | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

In the backcourt, Creighton will rely on a bevy of transfers, including Graves, Blake Harper, and Josh Dix, a trio of high level scorers from their previous stops.

It will be a battle of high-octane offenses in Spokane, but if Gonzaga's suffocating defense in its first two games shows up again on Tuesday coach Few's club should start the year a perfect 3-0 before their first road game on Friday at Arizona State.

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