Will Gonzaga's Pac-12 dominance continue against Washington?
The Gonzaga men's basketball team has ruled over the West Coast Conference for more than two decades.
In recent years, the Zags have extended their dominance to other leagues. The program has won 16 consecutive games against Pac-12 opponents, including last week's 89-76 victory over USC in Las Vegas.
The streak will get tested on Saturday when No. 7 Gonzaga (7-1) faces Washington (5-3) at Alaska Airlines Arena inside Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The game begins at 8 p.m. in Seattle and ESPN2 will the show the live broadcast.
The Zags defeated the Huskies 77-60 in Spokane last season. Gonzaga came out slow, but pulled away after Drew Timme and Julian Strawther combined for 40 points.
With Strawther in the NBA and Timme in the G-League, head coach Mark Few will rely on a different cast of contributors to handle the Huskies this time around.
Gonzaga's two leading scorers are Anton Watson and Graham Ike, who are averaging 14.8 and 13.9 points per game, respectively. The two forwards have each corralled a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game this season.
Ike tallied 17 points, nine rebounds and two assists in Tuesday's 111-71 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Watson added 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Washington is led by forward Keion Brooks Jr., who's averaging 20.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He had 14 points and five rebounds against the Zags in 2022.
With an improved jumper, Brooks has been one of the most productive scorers in the country this season. The graduate student is shooting 51.8% overall, 34.6% on 3s and has scored at least 20 points in five of his eight appearances.
Brooks, who was a 5-star recruit in high school, played three seasons at Kentucky before transferring to Washington.
Huskies head coach Mike Hopkins signed another former Wildcat this offseason in Sahvir Wheeler. A 5-foot-9 point guard, Wheeler is averaging 16.1 points and 6.9 assists per game.
Wheeler was one of six players to join Washington through the transfer portal over the offseason.
"They've taken full advantage of the transfer portal and some NIL situations," Few said of Washington. "So they really max those things out and they've changed the roster and added some real talent."
The Zags return to Seattle for the first time since defeating the Huskies 83-76 in 2019. Gonzaga hung on for a road victory despite Washington coming within two points late in the second half.
"When the Zags roll into [Hec Edmundson Pavilion], it's a really big game, so we're expecting a great effort from the Huskies and the crowd," Few said.
Gonzaga has won seven straight meetings against Washington and the two programs have faced off 49 times dating back to 1910.
