SPOKANE, Wash. — The No. 8-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, without star forwards Graham Ike and Braden Huff, might be expected to struggle in their absence. Instead, the Zags have won by 20 and 24 points and held their opponents to just 55 points per game. Now they host San Francisco, the best opponent they’ve faced without at least one of their bigs this season.
The Dons come into the game 13-8 overall and 5-3 in conference play, beating Pepperdine by 20 and Washington State by five in the past week. USF is led by guard Ryan Beasley, who is averaging 14.2 points on 41% shooting. The Dons have four players averaging at least 10 points per game, with Tyrone Riley IV (12.1), David Fuchs (11.9) and Mookie Cook (10.1) also contributing offensively.
Coach Mark Few knows how good the Dons can be when they play to their full potential, and the margin of error for Gonzaga to come away with a win will be slim.
“We’ll have to be great. We’ll have to be great. I mean, San Francisco’s just a really, really, really solid team. They’ve come in this building and really gave us everything, or it took everything we had to get the win,” Few said. “They’ve got some returnees back. They added some nice pieces in the transfer portal. They added a nice big. And then Beasley has always been just such a great little player. Now he’s getting extended minutes and really extended opportunities and really flourishing with that.”
Gonzaga will need to contain Fuchs and Cook, as the Dons’ forwards are averaging 22 points per game. With only Ismaila Diagne and Noah Haaland getting minutes in the past two Zags games, they will have a tall task trying to keep the ball out of the paint.
The Bulldogs’ offense has shifted philosophies in the past two outings, with Mario Saint-Supery (16) and Davis Fogle (15) leading the team in scoring, both coming off the bench for Gonzaga. The Zags have spread the scoring around more evenly as well, with only one 20-point performance from Saint-Supery in their games without both Huff and Ike.
San Francisco ranks 105th in KenPom and 107th in the NCAA NET, well outside the NCAA tournament bubble, but a win over Gonzaga would be historic. The Dons have not beaten Gonzaga in 34 consecutive games, dating back to 2012, and haven’t won in Spokane since 1989.
This matchup also marks the halfway point of Gonzaga’s conference schedule. The Bulldogs sit at 8-0 and have 10 conference games remaining, including two matchups with Saint Mary’s.
Ike’s status for the game is unknown, as he is day to day, according to Few, with a medial ankle sprain, while Huff will continue to miss time for at least a few more weeks as he rehabs his knee injury.
No. 8 Gonzaga (20-1, 8-0) hosts San Francisco (13-8, 5-3) at 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Highlights and postgame press conferences will be available on SWXLocalSports.com, the SWX app, and on YouTube (@SWXLocalSports).
Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Betting Odds
No. 8 Gonzaga enters Saturday’s bout with the San Francisco Dons as 18.5-point favorites at home, despite their best player (possibly both their best players) sidelined with an injury in Huff (out) and Ike (questionable).
The over/under is set at 152.5. (Odds courtesy Action Network).