Gonzaga's 2022-23 WCC slate revealed
The puzzle pieces to Gonzaga’s 2022-23 schedule are coming together after the WCC announced the conference slate on Tuesday. Over a nine-week stretch featuring 16 games, the Zags will look to defend their crown against the other nine schools in the west. Conference play is slated to begin Dec. 31 and end on Feb. 25.
The Zags are set to kick off WCC action against the Pepperdine Waves in Spokane on the last calendar day of 2022. Lorenzo Romar’s squad finished dead last in the conference a year ago, losing 15 of 16 with a young and inexperienced squad. Houston Mallette and Mike Mitchell are poised to have strong sophomore campaigns in hopes of putting the Waves back in contention.
GU will travel all along the west coast throughout January, as five of the month’s seven games are away from home. That includes a three-game stretch at Santa Clara, San Francisco and BYU, three schools reeling from their offseason losses. Two home bouts against Portland (Jan. 14) and Loyola Marymount (Jan. 19) precede another road trip, this time to Stockton to take on the Pacific Tigers and then the Pilots in Portland.
Like the Waves, Portland also features a young nucleus ready to compete. Chris Austin, Tyler Robertson, Moses Wood and Michael Meadows are all back this season. Throw in Chika Nduka, a promising guard from Seattle, and Portland becomes a sneaky dark horse team built on continuity.
February will see the Zags home five times, starting with the Broncos on Feb. 2. After a quick trip to Moraga two days later, Mark Few’s squad is back home for two bouts against the Dons (Feb. 9) and Cougars (Feb. 11).
The regular season slate concludes with senior night on Feb. 25 against Saint Mary’s.
The WCC tournament runs from March 2-7 and will once again be held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. For GU students, this poses an interesting conundrum, as the school’s spring break runs from March 13-17. Historically the two events have aligned, making it possible for students to go to Las Vegas without missing school.
With WCC action squared away, and the addition of Kent State to the schedule, GU has four open slots to fill for the 2022-23 season.
Times and broadcast details for all games will be released at a later date.
