Gonzaga’s home schedule is filling up fast, and the latest piece gives fans one more trip to McCarthey Athletic Center before conference play arrives.
According to Rocco Miller of Bracketeer.com, the Zags are set to host Incarnate Word on either Nov. 10 or 11, giving Gonzaga a fifth known home nonconference game. Tipoff time and television information for that matchup - along with details for Gonzaga’s other four home nonleague games - will be announced later.
The Incarnate Word game lands in the middle of a busy stretch for Gonzaga, wedged between the Nov. 7 home opener against New Mexico State and a Nov. 14 matchup against LSU and first-year coach at Numerica Veterans Arena.
It will also be just the second time these programs have met. Gonzaga handled Incarnate Word 103-68 at the Kennel during the 2017-18 season, with Rui Hachimura and Zach Norvell Jr. combining for 35 points off the bench and Josh Perkins adding 16 more for the Zags.
Incarnate Word comes in with a roster that looks very different from a year ago. The Cardinals are losing their top six scorers, including three players who averaged double figures, from a team that went 12-19 overall and finished ninth in the Southland Conference at 7-15.
Shane Heirman’s team has gone 39-59 in his three seasons at the helm. His staff includes former Auburn, UTEP and Central Michigan coach Tony Barbee and former San Jose State coach Dave Wojcik, a longtime friend of Mark Few who once recruited ex-Zag standout Brandon Clarke to play for the Spartans in the Mountain West.
Beyond Incarnate Word and New Mexico State, Gonzaga’s other scheduled home nonconference games are Montana State on Nov. 17, NAIA Eastern Oregon on Dec. 2 and Cornell on Dec. 31.
The official nonconference schedule, along with the full Pac-12 Conference schedule, is expected to be released in the next few weeks.
In Other News...
Gonzaga's Title Hopes Ride On A Roster Question Still Unsettled
Gonzaga enters the upcoming season with the kind of roster balance that usually keeps the Bulldogs in the national title conversation: a strong frontcourt, an experienced backcourt and a few players who could take another step into bigger roles. Even so, the early optimism comes with a familiar asterisk, because the staff is still sorting through eligibility questions that could shape how quickly this group comes together and how high its ceiling really is.
The concern is not just depth, but timing. Gonzaga has limited offseason runway to build cohesion, and the three-point shooting has to improve if this team is going to fully cash in on its veteran pieces and frontcourt size. Until the roster picture clears, though, the Bulldogs are left waiting on answers that could determine whether this is merely a talented team or one built to chase much more. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzagas Nonconference Schedule Is Bringing Early Tests Fans Will Judge Fast
Gonzagas nonconference slate is coming into focus, and it already looks like the kind of schedule fans will start parsing well before conference play arrives. The Bulldogs are lining up home dates with New Mexico State, Montana State, Eastern Oregon and Cornell, while also bringing LSU to Spokane Arena and heading into the Players Era Festival, where more high-level games could still be on the table.
For a program that is used to being measured early and often, the balance here matters as much as the names. The schedule is built around 15 nonconference games, with several power-conference matchups at neutral sites giving Gonzaga a chance to find out plenty about itself before the calendar turns to league play. [Read more 🡒]