No. 15 Gonzaga is back in Spokane for its home opener, and the matchup comes with a familiar setup: a big favorite, a short turnaround, and another marquee game waiting just ahead.
The Zags will host New Mexico State at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, with Gonzaga listed as a 21.5-point favorite. It’s the first home game since Gonzaga opened the season by beating Purdue at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 2, and it arrives before another high-profile date with LSU at Spokane Arena on Nov. 14.
New Mexico State comes in at 1-0 after a 73-66 win over Division II Western New Mexico, though that opener came with a major loss. Top player Gabe Warren went down with a torn ACL just six minutes into the game. The 6-6 senior guard, who transferred to Las Cruces from Holy Cross, had averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists last season and had six points before the injury.
With Warren out for the year, the Aggies will need other scoring sources to step forward, and DJ Dudley was the first one to answer. The former Rider and Louisiana Tech guard scored 22 points in the opener, going 7-for-14 from the field and 4-for-5 from three. He’s already proven he can stretch the floor, after leading Louisiana Tech with 59 made threes last season while shooting 36% from deep.
Mark Lavrenov also gave New Mexico State a lift inside, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-8 forward helped keep the Aggies afloat in a game that stayed tight longer than expected.
Jason Hooten’s team is also easing KK Robinson back into action. The fourth-year head coach is keeping Robinson on a minutes restriction after the guard missed the last two seasons with torn ACLs at Arkansas Little Rock.
Robinson, now a 7th-year senior, played 13 minutes in the opener and scored four points on 2-for-8 shooting. He was part of the 2019-20 Oak Hill Academy team that included Cole Anthony and Cam Thomas, and in his last full season he averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists en route to First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors.
His path to New Mexico State also included stops at Arkansas and Texas A&M.
The biggest problem for the Aggies in Spokane looks like size. Gonzaga should have a clear edge in the frontcourt, and New Mexico State’s opener already showed how that can be exposed. Western New Mexico outrebounded the Aggies by nine, even while both teams struggled from deep.
Lavrenov and 6-9 French forward Leopold Levillain were New Mexico State’s best interior options in that game, while 6-9 forward Stephon Payne remains ineligible after trying to join Gonzaga forward Chauncey Wiggins in the Waco “5-in-5” lawsuit.
Another name to watch is 7-0 Adrame Diongue. The former four-star prospect started his college career at Washington State in the 2022-23 season and has yet to fully settle in. He played only nine minutes in the opener because of foul trouble, but he could be asked to handle more against Gonzaga’s front line of Braden Huff, Massamba Diop and Izan Almansa.
For Gonzaga, the formula is straightforward. The Zags already outrebounded Purdue in their opener, and they should have a chance to lean on that edge again against a smaller New Mexico State team. If they can turn defensive rebounds into transition chances and pile up points in the open floor, the game could get away from the Aggies quickly.
That’s especially true if Gonzaga controls the offensive glass. Western New Mexico managed just two fast-break points against New Mexico State despite keeping the rebounding battle close, and the Zags will look to do much more damage in those situations.
Home court matters here too. This is Gonzaga’s first game at the Kennel in what figures to be another big season for Mark Few’s group, and with LSU looming, there’s always the chance of a letdown. But the Zags will want to use the crowd to set the tone early and make life miserable for a New Mexico State team already missing one of its top players.
It also offers a chance for Huff and Diop to bounce back after some struggles against Purdue and Daniel Jacobsen. New Mexico State doesn’t appear built to match up with them physically, and Almansa should have room to work off the bench as well.
The backcourt rotation is another interesting piece. Xaivian Lee, Davis Fogle, Isiah Harwell, Nathan De Sousa and Javon Bennett should all see meaningful minutes, with De Sousa and Bennett especially valuable as disruptive defenders. New Mexico State will lean heavily on its guards this season, and with Warren gone, that burden only grows.
Gonzaga enters this one with a chance to clean up some things before a week off and the LSU matchup ahead. The expectation is simple: the Zags should come out aggressive and stay that way.
The game will air on SWX, with Greg Heister, Dan Dickau and Richard Fox on the broadcast. It will also be available on radio at 590 AM and 96.1 FM.
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Gonzaga Gets A New Mexico State Test With More Intrigue Than Expected
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Gonzagas early-season schedule is already bringing a familiar sort of challenge: a veteran guard with a track record of production and a new program looking to make noise. DJ Dudley arrived at New Mexico State after stops at Louisiana Tech and elsewhere, and he brings the kind of experience that can stress a defense before a game ever settles into rhythm.
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The frontcourt is part of the story, too, with Gonzaga still sorting out how its bigs fit together in a game that should help clarify roles. For a team that usually uses November to learn who can handle pressure, who can defend without hesitation and who can stay on the floor, this opener has the feel of a useful early test, even before the results start to matter in the standings. [Read more 🡒]