Gonzaga vs. Oregon: How a Chance Encounter Sparked a Clash of West Coast Hoops Powers
PORTLAND - Sometimes the biggest games in college basketball aren’t born in boardrooms or scheduling meetings-they’re sparked over a couple of beers and a shared sense of unfinished business.
That’s exactly how Sunday’s Northwest Elite Showdown between No. 7 Gonzaga and Oregon came to life.
Back in April, while the Final Four buzzed just down the road in San Antonio, Mark Few and Dana Altman-two of the most respected coaches in the game-crossed paths at a local bar. Both were fresh off postseason exits that didn’t go according to plan.
And like any two basketball lifers, the conversation quickly turned to hoops.
“We were both disappointed the way our seasons ended,” Altman recalled. “So the Final Four, you kind of drown in your sorrows a little bit… But we had a discussion there that we probably should play.”
That casual chat turned into a two-game, neutral-site series that begins Sunday at Portland’s Moda Center, with a return game slated for Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena in either 2027 or 2028. It’s a matchup that feels overdue-and one that brings together two of the West Coast’s most successful programs of the 21st century.
Coaching Legends, Northwest Roots
Few and Altman aren’t just elite coaches-they’re fixtures in the college basketball landscape. Altman ranks fifth among active Division I coaches with 786 career wins, and Few sits right behind him at No. 6 with 753. Their programs have made regular appearances in March, and both have Final Four banners to show for it.
Despite that, Gonzaga and Oregon have only met once during their tenures-an overtime thriller at the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis. That changes Sunday, in a game that carries more weight than your typical nonconference showdown.
For Few, this one’s personal. The Gonzaga coach grew up in Creswell, Oregon, just 18 miles from the Ducks’ campus in Eugene. As a kid, he stayed up late watching Ducks legends like Ronnie Lee and Greg Ballard on tape-delayed broadcasts, keeping stats in a notebook long before ESPN was a household name.
“I’m happy and proud of what [Altman’s] done with that program,” Few said. “It’s been amazing. It’s been the greatest run-just been the greatest run for basketball down there at that school.”
Ducks Searching for Their Groove
While Gonzaga enters the game rolling, Oregon is still trying to find its footing. The Ducks are 6-5 and have yet to beat a team ranked in the top 100 at KenPom.com. A five-game skid from late November to early December included losses to Creighton and UCLA-both teams Gonzaga handled with relative ease.
Altman, in his 16th season at Oregon, has made a habit of turning things around midseason. But this year’s group may need more than the usual second-half spark.
Injuries haven’t helped. Key players Jackson Shelstad and Nate Bittle-both former Gonzaga recruits-have missed time, and Bittle is still working his way back from an ankle injury suffered against San Diego State.
Bittle showed flashes with 18 points against Portland earlier this week, but he struggled mightily in Oregon’s last major test, going 0-for-11 from the field.
“We’re going to have to protect the rim a lot better than we’re doing,” Altman said. “Gonzaga’s really talented inside.”
Zags Heating Up at the Right Time
That inside talent Altman’s talking about? Braden Huff and Graham Ike.
The duo has been dominant during Gonzaga’s recent run, combining for 48 points against Kentucky, 45 against UCLA, and 51 against Campbell. Huff, in particular, has been on a tear, highlighted by a 37-point explosion against Campbell.
One of the two has dropped at least 24 points in each of the last four games, and their chemistry in the paint has been a major reason the Zags have looked like a top-tier team heading into the holidays.
“We’re really excited for the opportunity,” Huff said. “Oregon’s a good team, dealt with some injuries this year and I think they’ll be fully healthy against us. It’s going to be a fun one-we know we’re going to get their best, they’re going to get our best.”
A Rare and Meaningful Matchup
This will be the 27th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Oregon, but the first since that 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis showdown-and the first played in the continental U.S. since 1983. The Zags are 5-2 all-time at the Moda Center, a building that’s become a second home for them in recent years.
For fans of West Coast basketball, this is a gift. Two programs with deep roots, elite coaching, and a shared respect going head-to-head in a neutral-site showdown that’s about more than just a win-it’s about legacy, pride, and a little bit of unfinished business.
And to think, it all started with a beer in San Antonio.