Gonzaga vs. Oregon ranked among best college basketball games of the week

Gonzaga and Oregon face off on Sunday, Dec. 21 in Portland

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs fans. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Mark Few and the 10-1 Gonzaga Bulldogs are nearing the conclusion of a highly successful non-conference slate, but there is one big-time matchup still to come.

The Zags will take on the Oregon Ducks on Sunday, Dec. 21, at the Moda Center in Portland, the first matchup between these two schools in the continental United States since 1984.

Oregon (5-5) has struggled in the early part of the season, but the two West Coast powerhouses squaring off for just the third time in the last 25 years makes it one of the must-watch games of the week, according to college basketball insider Andy Katz.

Katz ranked Sunday's tilt between the Zags and Ducks No. 9 on his list of the top ten games of the week. Other highlights include Rick Pitino facing his old team in Saturday's matchup between St. John's and Kentucky in Atlanta, former Zag Michael Ajayi and Butler playing at UConn in Big East play, and former Pac-12 foes Arizona State and UCLA squaring off on Wednesday at Pauley Pavilion.

Oregon and Gonzaga have faced each other twice in the Mark Few era, with both matchups coming in multi-team events. They first played in the Maui Invitational in 1999, Few's 11th game as the head coach, and again 20 years later in the Battle 4 Atlantis in 2019. Oregon won in Maui while Gonzaga took down the Ducks in Atlantis, making Sunday's game a rubber match between Few's current school and his alma mater.

Keep an eye out 👁️@TheAndyKatz gives his top 10 games of the week 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7qn9YNAs50

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 15, 2025

The scarcity of matchups between these two programs is a big part of the intrigue for Sunday's tilt, especially since Oregon has not played as well as expected so far this season.

The Ducks began the season 4-0, although they needed a last-second shot to defeat Hawaii in the season opener and only beat Rice by four. Altman's club then went on an ugly five-game losing streak, dropping all three games in the Players Era Festival to Auburn, San Diego State, and Creighton before opening up Big Ten play with losses to USC and at home to UCLA.

Led by preseason All-Big Ten center Nate Bittle and point guard Jackson Shelstad, Oregon remains a formidable opponent and a strong matchup for Gonzaga to close out the non-conference slate.

Both teams have a game on Wednesday before they face each other, with Oregon hosting Portland in Eugene while Gonzaga brings the Campbell Camels to town, with tip-off slated for 6:00 PM PT.