Gonzaga vs. New Mexico State: 3 things to watch beyond the scoreboard

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are 1-0 heading into the first home game of the 2026-27 college basketball season, a Saturday afternoon showdown against the Aggies of New Mexico State.

It'll be Gonzaga's first game at the McCarthey Athletic Center as members of the new-look Pac-12, and the first of five buy games this season - alongside Montana State (Nov. 17), Eastern Oregon (Dec. 2), Incarnate Word (Dec. 9), and Cornell (Dec. 31).

Gonzaga is 1-0 all-time against New Mexico State, having beaten the Aggies 80-68 back in 2013. NMSU is currently No. 131 at KenPom, and the Zags should have an easier time getting a win over No. 2 than they did in the season opener against Purdue.

Still, there is plenty to watch for when Gonzaga and New Mexico State tip off at 2:00 PM on Saturday, including potential college debuts and continued growth from key offseason additions:

1. Will Mark Few give Gonzaga's newcomers their first opportunity?

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Juwan Ekanga (3). | Photo by Myk Crawford

There are six players on Gonzaga's roster who have never played in a regular-season college basketball game - and that could change for every single one of them on Saturday afternoon.

Parker Jefferson and Alonzo Metz - who both redshirted last season - are joined by four true freshmen in Luca Foster, Sam Funches, Juwan Ekanga, and walk-on Carter Nilson. None of the six played in Gonzaga's win over Purdue on Monday - where coach Few ran a very tight eight-man rotation - but with this game expected to be out of hand in the final few minutes, it would not be a surprise to at least see a few of these Zags on the floor for the very first time.

Jefferson paid his dues last year on Gonzaga's bench and also played extremely well in GU's exhibition win over Lewis-Clark State late last month - dropping 12 points on 6-9 shooting with six rebounds - which makes him arguably the most likely player to see the floor out of this group.

Foster and Ekanga seem very likely to play as well, with both competing for minutes as the ninth man in the rotation - at least as long as Chauncey Wiggins remains ineligible.

Funches, Metz, and Nilson may get in during garbage time, depending on the score and game flow.

2. Massamba Diop looks to put foul trouble behind him

Gonzaga Bulldogs center Massamba Diop. | Photo by Myk Crawford

The rise of Izan Almansa has been the biggest storyline in Gonzaga's frontcourt in the early part of the season, but with it have come questions about Massamba Diop's role. Almansa has outplayed Diop in every exhibition and regular season game, thanks primarily to Diop's inability to stay on the floor.

The 7'1 big man is an elite rim protector and developing offensive weapon, but he has struggled to avoid foul trouble - and coach Few's conservative strategy means Diop has been sitting huge chunks of the games.

That's understandable early in the season against aggressive, physical teams like Arkansas and Purdue, but Diop needlessly picked up fouls against Lewis-Clark State as well - and if he struggles in this area again on Saturday, it will start to become a real worry for fans.

Almansa and Huff are a tremendous frontcourt, but Diop's rim protection and pure size on the interior are vital to this team reaching its ceiling - and he needs to be able to stay on the floor for that to happen.

3. Nathan de Sousa gets another chance to find his rhythm

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nathan de Sousa. | MYK CRAWFORD

Gonzaga's first experience with Nathan de Sousa was certainly a wild ride, with the French point guard playing 33 minutes against Arkansas in place of Davis Fogle - and shooting an abhorrent 2-17 from the field and 1-8 from three.

He looked far better in a smaller role against Purdue, playing 17 minutes and focusing on doing the dirty work defensively and facilitating the offense, rather than trying to fill Fogle's scoring role.

That kind of growth is fantastic this early in the season, and he should have plenty of opportunity on Saturday against the Aggies. Getting him more on-ball reps will help ensure he's ready to take over at PG if/when the Zags need him to, and that he can impact this team without needing to attack the basket every single possession.

Gonzaga vs. New Mexico State is set to tip at 2:00 PM PT on Saturday, Nov. 7. The game will be broadcast locally on KHQ and is available to stream on ESPN Unlimited.

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