The Game Haus outlines its 2026 college basketball conference champion forecasts as the season looms, highlighting key picks such as Duke winning the ACC, Arizona taking the Big 12, UConn the Big East, Illinois the Big Ten, and Gonzaga the Pac‑12. The list spans every Division I league, from Vermont in America East to Santa Clara in the West Coast, offering a quick reference for fans tracking which teams must win their tournaments to secure NCAA bids.
Boilers Open Season Monday in Las Vegas vs. #15 Gonzaga
Ahead of the 2026‑27 season, Mountain West Connection releases its final preseason power rankings for the newly‑minted Pac‑12. Gonzaga tops the list, fueled by Braden Huff and transfer Massamba Diop, and opens the season at No. 15 in the AP Top‑25. San Diego State lands at No. 2, followed by Utah State, Colorado State, Boise State, Oregon State, Texas State, Washington State, and Fresno State at the bottom. The poll notes that only Gonzaga received AP top‑25 votes, while the rest earned none. Fans are invited to discuss the rankings in the comments.
In the Pac-12’s first season after its redesign, both Gonzaga basketball programs are projected to clinch the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament bids for 2027. The men’s team, coached by Mark Few, tops the media poll with all 17 first‑place votes, ahead of Utah State, and will face them in a sold‑out game on Jan. 21, 2027. Sophomore wing Davis Fogle and redshirt senior forward Braden Huff make the preseason impact list. The women’s team, led by Lisa Fortier, receives 16 of 19 first‑place votes, with junior guard Allie Turner and redshirt sophomore forward Lauren Whittaker named impact players. FanDuel odds list Gonzaga men at +3000 for the national title, while the women sit at +25,000.
Redshirt senior power forward Braden Huff has been named to the Karl Malone Award preseason watchlist, joining Gonzaga’s growing list of award candidates. Huff returns fully healthy after a left‑knee injury, having averaged 17.8 points on 66.2% shooting (sixth‑best in the nation) and 5.6 rebounds in 2025‑26. The 6‑10 senior will lead Gonzaga’s 2026‑27 offense and aims to stay injury‑free. Gonzaga also boasts sophomore wing Davis Fogle on the Julius Erving Award watchlist, with center Massamba Diop expected on the Kareem Abdul‑Jabbar list, highlighting the program’s national prominence.
Utah State begins its Pac-12 era near the top of the league, landing No. 2 behind Gonzaga in the conference’s preseason basketball poll.
No. 15 Gonzaga kicks off its Pac‑12 era on Oct. 29 at T‑Mobile Arena, facing Purdue in the TNT Sports Hall of Fame Series (tip‑off 4:30 p.m. PT). Purdue, now outside the AP Top 25 for the first time in 80 weeks, returns without several key scorers from last season, while Gonzaga hopes to avoid its 5‑0 losing streak to the Boilermakers—four games have ended Gonzaga’s Sweet 16 runs. The matchup pits former Purdue star Zach Edey (now with Memphis) against Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, offering a chance for both programs to snap recent trends and earn a marquee win.
Mountain West Connection ranks the Pac-12's top 10 players ahead of the 2026‑27 season, highlighting Gonzaga's dominance with four selections—including unanimous preseason Player of the Year Braden Huff (F), Defensive Player of the Year Massamba Diop (C), and breakout guard Davis Fogle. Oregon State contributes two guards, Daniel Freitag and Josiah Lake II, while Utah State's Mason Falslev lands at No. 2 after averaging 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals last year. The list also features players from San Diego State, Texas State, and Colorado State.
The WCC enters a new era in 2026-27 as Gonzaga departs for the Pac‑12 and Saint Mary’s parts with long‑time coach Randy Bennett. The preview ranks Santa Clara as the front‑runner, boosted by Elijah Mahi’s 14.1 ppg last season and the addition of transfer Sidi Gueye. Saint Mary’s, now led by rookie coach Mickey McConnell, remains a contender but must find frontcourt consistency. Pepperdine, under Griff Aldrich, boasts size, shooting and a strong international class. Pacific, Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego round out the field, each with key transfers and promising freshmen. The article details each team’s strengths, returning stars and roster questions ahead of the season.
The Duke Basketball Report breaks down how ACC schools craft their 2026‑27 non‑conference slates, balancing tournament bids, TV exposure, rivalries and coach security. Duke tops the conference with eight power‑conference matchups, hosting Illinois, playing UConn in Las Vegas, meeting Georgia and Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden, and traveling to face Gonzaga in Detroit and Michigan State in Chicago. Clemson, Louisville, Pitt and others schedule seven such tests. The piece also highlights multi‑team events like the Players Era 8 Tournament and the Southwest Maui Invitational, showing how ACC teams weigh prestige and revenue when building their schedules.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 6:00 p.m. PT on KHQ
Kyle Sweeney and Josh Gilchrist break down Gonzaga's exhibition loss to Arkansas, highlighting the Bulldogs' missteps, De Sousa's struggles, and Diop's aggressive play. The hosts dissect the game's key moments and discuss what the defeat means for Gonzaga's upcoming season.
The Mountain West Connection’s Pac‑12 preseason preview crowns Gonzaga as the awards powerhouse for 2026‑27. Senior forward Braden Huff earns Player of the Year after a 17.8‑point, 5.6‑rebound comeback from a knee injury, while fellow Zags transfer Massamba Diop is named Defensive Player of the Year. Freshman of the Year ties between Gonzaga’s Ian Almansa and Juwan Ekanga‑Ehawa, and the Sixth Man award also splits between Gonzaga’s Javon Bennett and Isaiah Harwell. Mark Few (Gonzaga) shares Coach of the Year honors with Colorado State’s Ali Farokhmanesh. Utah State takes Best Offense; Gonzaga clinches Best Defense and Best Bench.
Wing Tyon Grant-Foster is selected No. 15 overall in the 2026 NBA G League Draft by the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat’s affiliate. After going undrafted, he spent the summer with the San Antonio Spurs, logging 1.0 point in 3.8 minutes over four games. At Gonzaga he posted 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 0.8 steals in 35 games, shooting 47.5% from the field. The article also notes four fellow Gonzaga alums on two‑way G League deals and lists additional Zags heading to the league. The G League season starts Nov. 6, 2026.
As the AP preseason Top‑25 drops all mid‑majors (Gonzaga sits at 15), Mid‑Major Madness polls six smaller programs for who will break in first. VCU tops the vote, bolstered by a +15,000 March Madness odds line, returning stars Lazar Djokovic, Nyk Lewis, Brandon Jennings, and transfers Blake Harper and Torey Alston. Saint Louis hopes to build on last season’s Top‑25 stint, while Nevada, Grand Canyon, Utah State and Santa Clara round out the list. The article also links to Atlantic 10 previews on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Calipari Recaps Win Over Gonzaga
Richmond, Thompson Recap Win over Gonzaga
Arkansas and Gonzaga scheduled a top-15 exhibition at Bud Walton Arena, giving John Calipari and Mark Few an unusually valuable preseason test.
Saturday, October 24, 2026 college basketball exhibition games include Gonzaga at Arkansas, LSU at Florida State and BYU at UNLV. See confirmed tip times and viewing information.
A Santa Clara judge’s preliminary injunction lets Gonzaga point guards Xaivian Lee and Ines Bettencourt retain a fifth year of eligibility, letting them suit up for the 2026‑27 season while the NCAA appeals. Alongside them, transfer guard Javon Bennett also clears eligibility, giving men’s coach Mark Few a veteran backcourt trio and women’s coach Lisa Fortier a seasoned floor general. Bennett, a 5‑10, 165‑lb guard who averaged 16 points, 3 assists and 2.9 steals per game at Dayton, adds clutch scoring and near‑90% free‑throw shooting. With these seasoned guards, Gonzaga aims to dominate the Pac‑12 in its new era, despite ongoing legal battles affecting over 70 players.
With Izan Almansa officially receiving his NCAA waiver, nearly all of Gonzaga's roster is eligible before its exhibition against Arkansas. So what are the specifics for the Zags whose status is still up in the air?
The Gonzaga Bulldogs face John Calipari’s No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks in an Oct. 23 exhibition at Bud Walton Arena, offering a first look at both squads’ 2026‑27 rosters. Gonzaga adds Spanish forward Izan Almansa, joining redshirt senior Braden Huff and transfer center Massamba Diop to deepen a frontcourt that missed a top‑200 three‑point ranking last season. New backcourt options include transfer point guard Javon Bennett, combo guard Xaivian Lee, and French guard Nathan De Sousa, while sharpshooter Isiah Harwell impressed with 17 points on 4‑for‑5 from deep. Arkansas counters with its elite recruiting class, highlighted by Finnish wing Miikka Muurinen and seasoned guards Jordan Smith Jr. and Davion Thompson, plus veteran wing Billy Richmond III. The preview raises three questions: Will Gonzaga’s three‑point shooting improve, can the new backcourt support the interior, and how will both teams defend elite, star‑powered lineups?
Kyle Sweeney and Josh Gilchrist break down the new preseason AP poll, evaluate Dayton transfer Javon Bennett’s fit in Gonzaga’s backcourt, and project how the Zags will fare in the NBA draft. They weigh the poll’s implications for Gonzaga’s ranking, discuss Bennett’s eligibility and potential impact, and offer their top NBA predictions for the program’s prospects heading into the 2026‑27 season.
The Phoenix Suns have claimed forward Drew Timme off waivers, according to HoopsHype. Timme, a former Gonzaga University standout, joins Phoenix after spending training camp with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 6-foot-10 big man has played two NBA seasons, previously appearing for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. Across those two seasons, Timme has averaged […]
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This afternoon marks the unofficial tip off of the 2026-2027 Purdue men’s basketball season. The Ball State Cardinals come to Mackey Arena for an exhibition game against the Boilermakers. This is the first of three exhbition games before the season officially tips off against Gonzaga on November 2nd in Las Vegas. After the disappointing football […]