College basketball is back, and the new-look Pac-12 is wasting no time showing why this league could be a bear in men’s hoops. For Oregon State coach Justin Joyner and his team, the early stretch of non-conference play is already shaping up as a serious test.
A few of the conference’s top teams have come out sharp in the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, and the first batch of results has given a clear early read on where things stand.
Gonzaga, still carrying the weight of a #15 national ranking, is trying to answer after last year’s early NCAA tournament exit. Mark Few has pieced together another dangerous roster, mixing in transfer help with senior Braden Huff.
So far, the Bulldogs have looked the part. They opened with a win over Purdue and then followed it with a lopsided rout of New Mexico State.
Sophomore Davis Fogle has taken on a much bigger role in Year 2, averaging 22 points and four assists through the first couple games. Two newcomers worth watching are ASU transfer big man Massamba Diop and Florida transfer guard Xaivian Lee.
Utah State has been just as convincing, even if it hasn’t been truly tested yet. The Aggies are coming off another season that ended with an NCAA tournament win, and they’ve handled their first three games with ease.
This group is built around experienced upperclassmen, and that veteran core is already producing. Dallin Hall exploded for 35 points in the Aggies’ latest game against Utah Tech, while senior Mason Falslev has stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game through three contests.
He looks like an early contender in the conference player of the year conversation.
San Diego State is also off to a strong start with a roster that looks very different after a down year in 2025-26. The Aztecs added Sac State transfer Bear Cherry and former Oregon State guard Isaiah Sy, but sophomore Chance Gladden has been one of the main early sparks.
SDSU picked up an 11-point win over Colorado last Saturday and looks like a team that can absolutely get into the conference race. The schedule will tell plenty soon enough, with Iowa State on the docket in a couple weeks and #9 UCLA waiting in late December.
Colorado State enters the season with plenty of change after a busy offseason, and the early returns have been mixed. The Rams have leaned mostly on returners to carry the load so far, while Marist transfer Justin Menard has also been solid through the first two games. The results haven’t been flashy - just wins over two smaller schools - but this is still a team that could round into form as the season goes on.
In Other News...
Gonzaga Is About To See How Real LSUs Early Surge Is
LSU enters its meeting with Gonzaga looking a lot more settled than it did a few months ago, when offseason roster uncertainty made it hard to know what this group would even look like by November. Now the Tigers have a mostly defined rotation, and early on they have leaned on a defense that has smothered weaker opponents while coach Will Wade has continued to handle the public side of the job with his usual bluntness. The offense, though, has not been nearly as polished, especially from beyond the arc.
That split is what makes this matchup so interesting for Gonzaga. LSU has shown enough intensity and structure to suggest it is more than a placeholder opponent, but the real question is whether those early wins say something meaningful about the Tigers or just reflect the level of competition they have faced so far. With eligibility issues still part of the backdrop and the shooting numbers not yet matching the defensive edge, this is the kind of game that can tell a lot about how far LSU has actually come. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzaga Gets An Early Test Against An LSU Team On A Tear
LSUs visit to Spokane arrives with plenty of buzz and a little bit of mystery attached to it. The Tigers have looked every bit like an early-season problem, leaning on players such as Michael Rui and Donovan Dent while rolling through the opening stretch of the 2026-27 schedule in convincing fashion. For Gonzaga, it is the kind of nonconference matchup that can say plenty about where the Bulldogs stand before the season really settles in, especially with a home crowd at Numerica Veterans Arena waiting to see how they handle a team that has been overwhelming opponents so far.
The timing also makes it a useful measuring stick for Gonzagas broader track record against Southeastern Conference competition, a group the Bulldogs have faced plenty of times with varying results. Home court has usually been a strength in Spokane, and this one adds another layer because it comes in a first-time matchup that gives both programs something new to sort out. The Bulldogs do not need a marquee label to understand the value of this game, but they will get one anyway when LSU comes in on November 14. [Read more 🡒]