Mark Few is close to putting the finishing touches on another rigorous nonconference schedule for his Gonzaga Bulldogs this season.
The Zags are set for a 31-game regular season — the maximum number of games allowed under NCAA rules — once Few hammers out the final details on a matchup with Scott Drew and Baylor, presumably on a neutral site early in the season. It was first reported that the game would be held in Las Vegas during opening week. Few confirmed the likely Top 25 matchup will take place this season on a podcast with Jon Rothstein, though nothing is final as of now.
Even so, the 2024-25 slate is already filled with resume-building opportunities: At least three games away from home against NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago — including the back-to-back national champions — plus an eight-team multi-team event that consists of Arizona, Indiana, Louisville and Providence. Throw in a handful of tune-ups, an intriguing home opener (presumably) and a challenging true road game against a Sweet 16 team, there’s a lot to circle on the calendar from the first week of November to the last week of December.
Here’s a more in-depth look at the Bulldogs’ 2024-25 nonconference opponents (with Bart Torvik 2024-25 ranking).
BAYLOR BEARS (14): TBD
HC: Scott Drew (18th season) 23-24: 24-11 (11-7 Big 12); 3-seed, R32
This would be quite the start to the season for two teams hoping to make deep NCAA Tournament runs in 2025. Baylor, which has finished in the top 16 of KenPom in each of the last five seasons, is projected to continue that trend as the No. 14 team in Bart Torvik’s 2024-25 projections.
Despite losing four of five starters from last season, head coach Scott Drew brought in top-tier talent this offseason to make up for the losses. Miami transfer Norchad Omier, a 6-foot-7 wing who averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game in 2023-24, along with former Duke product Jeremy Roach, an All-ACC guard last season, headline an incoming transfer portal class that’s ranked No. 13 in the nation according to EvanMiya.com. Drew also brought back 6-foot-4 guard Jayden Nunn, who started all 35 games as a junior, and 6-foot-5 wing Langston Love.
Even more impressive perhaps is the Bears’ 2024 recruiting class, ranked No. 4 in the country on 247Sports, which is highlighted by five-star wing and probable NBA lottery pick, VJ Edgecombe, as well as four-stars Rob Wright and Jason Asemota.
ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (67): NOV. 10, THE KENNEL
HC: Bobby Hurley (11th season) 23-24: 14-18 (8-12 Pac-12)
The likely home opener for the 2024-25 season comes against new Big 12 member Arizona State, which agreed to a home-and-home series that’ll conclude in Tempe, Arizona, the following season.
The Sun Devils’ introduction to the Big 12 will be without five of the team’s top six scorers from last season’s squad that finished ninth in the Pac-12 standings. Yet despite nearly 80% of the minutes played in 2023-24 gone, ASU sits at No. 67 in Torvik’s projections — up considerably from where it finished last season (127th).
Perhaps the expectation is that Bobby Hurley’s additions will make up for his subtractions. Five-star recruit Jayden Quaintance should go a long way with that cause, as the top-10 high school player from Raleigh, North Carolina, committed to ASU after he was released from his National Letter of Intent with Kentucky. The 6-foot-9 forward could play big minutes right away for Hurley’s squad as a freshman.
The Sun Devils also landed 6-foot-6 wing BJ Freeman (Milwaukee) and 6-foot-1 guard Alston Mason (Missouri State) in addition to retaining 6-foot-3 rising senior Adam Miller, who averaged 12.0 points and 3.2 rebounds last season.
UMASS LOWELL RIVER HAWKS (132): NOV. 15, THE KENNEL
HC: Pat Duquette (12th season) 23-24: 22-10 (11-5 America East)
Head coach Pat Duquette has his eyes on an America East league title after returning three of his five starters from a team that finished second in the standings a year ago. Premiere shot-blocking forward Max Brooks, who finished 25th in the country for blocks last season, is back for a fifth year. Quinton Mincey, another fifth-year player, averaged more than 14 points and was named the 2023-24 America East Sixth Man of the Year.
SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS (77): NOV. 18, VIEJAS ARENA (SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA)
HC: Brian Dutcher (8th season) 23-24: 26-11 (11-7 MWC); 5-seed, S16
The only true road game in the nonconference slate is an undetermined date with the Aztecs at the Viejas Arena in San Diego, California, where the Zags hope to avenge last season’s head-to-head loss at the Kennel.
Brian Dutcher’s program is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance and has gone through some changes. Butler and Micah Parrish left via the portal, while star big man Jaedon LeDee is ready to test the next level. The Aztecs sought to replace that outgoing talent by bringing in Nick Boyd, a 6-foot-3 guard who started for Florida Atlantic’s Final Four team two seasons ago, as well as Wayne McKinney III, a double-digit scorer with San Diego this past season.
LONG BEACH STATE (270): NOV. 20, THE KENNEL
HC: Chris Acker (1st season) 23-24: 21-15 (10-10 BW); 15-seed, R64
The Beach hopes to build continuity in Chris Acker’s first season at the helm. The former San Diego State assistant inherited just three players from Dan Monson’s NCAA Tournament team and brought in 10 newcomers to try and mix together for the 2024-25 campaign. The idea is that the younger transfer players will decide to stick around Long Beach for another year, thus giving Acker something to build off for the future.
Devin Askew isn’t a part of that group, though the former four-star Kentucky recruit should have a big role with the Beach after two injury-riddled seasons with Cal. Pacific transfer Cam Denson and Tj Wainwright from Robert Morris figure to play impacts right away as well.
BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS: NOV. 27-29, BAHAMAS
(Bracket here)
The Bulldogs tip off the three-day event against West Virginia on Nov. 27.
The Mountaineers, ranked No. 83 in Bart Torvik’s 2024-25 projections, head into their first season under new head coach Darian DeVries, who helped guide Drake to the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four seasons. His son, Tucker DeVries, is set to join him down in Morgantown, West Virginia, for his senior season. Tucker, the No. 15-ranked transfer on EvanMiya.com, was twice named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and put up 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season.
Both of Gonzaga’s potential second-round opponents made drastic changes this offseason as well. The Hoosiers look like an NCAA Tournament-caliber team on paper after coach Mike Woodson brought in Myles Rice (Washington State), Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford) and Luke Goode (Illinois) to mix with three of the top four scorers from last season. Ranked No. 31 on Torvik, Indiana returned the reigning Big Ten Rookie of the Year in Mackenzie Mgbako and 6-foot-5 senior Trey Galloway.
Woodson also brought in former Gonzaga and Arizona big man Oumar Ballo to hold down the frontcourt.
Louisville is expected to be relevant once again under new coach Pat Kelsey, who brought in a transfer portal class that ranks second in the nation behind only Saint John’s. Wisconsin transfer Chucky Hepburn, a 6-foot-2 senior, was Big Ten All-Defense last season and No. 21 on EvanMiya.com’s rankings. Koren Johnson (Washington), Aly Khalifa (BYU) and J’Vonne Hadley (Colorado) also headline the list of newcomers.
Of course, the storyline to follow will be the potential matchup between Mark Few and his old assistant Tommy Lloyd in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game. The Wildcats appear ready to compete for the Big 12 title after they returned All-American guard Caleb Love, rising junior Jaden Bradley, sophomore KJ Lewis and 7-foot-2 center Motiejus Krivas. Lloyd also brought in two proven scorers at the mid-major level in Anthony Dell’Orso (Campbell) and Trey Townsend (Oakland).
KENTUCKY WILDCATS (23): DEC. 7, CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA (SEATTLE)
HC: Mark Pope (1st season) 23-24: 23-10 (13-5 SEC); 3-seed, R64
Unlike the previous two meetings between college basketball powers — both of which were Gonzaga victories — the Wildcats are led by head coach Mark Pope, who was the BYU coach before he was named John Calipari’s successor earlier this spring. Big Blue fans haven’t seen the 5-star recruits they were accustomed to seeing from the Calipari regime, but Pope has completely revamped the roster with experienced talent acquired via the portal.
Headlined by Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma) and Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia), Kentucky has the No. 6 ranked transfer portal class in the country according to EvanMiaya.com. Pope also brought Jaxson Robinson over from Provo, Utah, landed sharpshooter Koby Brea from Dayton and got a guard with Final Four experience in Lamont Butler from San Diego State.
Kentucky will also face Duke in Atlanta, Georgia, on Nov. 11 and will travel to Clemson on Dec. 3 before it heads to Seattle.
UCONN HUSKIES (12): DEC. 14, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN (NEW YORK)
HC: Dan Hurley (7th season) 23-24: 37-3 (18-2 BE); 1-seed, National Champions
For a moment it appeared Dan Hurley could be the next great college coach to take their talents to the NBA, though after he spurned the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this summer, Hurley’s return marks a major win for college basketball and solidifies the Huskies as legit contenders to win their third title in a row and seventh as a program since 1999.
UConn’s quest for history will be without starters Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle and Tristen Newton, all of whom are pursuing the NBA. Hurley brought in top-10 recruit Liam McNeely and two-time All-WCC guard Aidan Mahaney from Saint Mary’s. Perhaps the biggest re-acquisition was Alex Karaban, who announced he’s returning to Storrs, Connecticut, after testing the draft waters this spring.
UConn has a challenging stretch of its own in nonleague play, as it’ll head down to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational with North Carolina, Michigan State, Memphis, Iowa State, Dayton, Colorado and Auburn from Nov. 25-27; the Huskies are home against Baylor (Dec. 4) and at Texas (Dec. 8) before its matchup with the Zags in New York.
NICHOLLS STATE COLONELS (236): DEC. 18, THE KENNEL
HC: Tevon Saddler (2nd season) 23-24: 20-14 (13-5 Southland)
Better known as just Nicholls, the Colonels went 20-14 and 13-5 in the Southland Conference last season and will likely feature six or seven seniors in their main rotation in 2024-25. Head coach Tevon Saddler is set to return three of his top four scorers after losing his lead man Diante Smith (UT Arlington) to the portal. Saddler managed to reel in Seattle native and Mill Creek product Jaylen Searles (Utah Tech), a 6-foot-8 forward who averaged 10.1 points and 4.9 rebounds as a junior.
The Colonels checked in at No. 208 on Torvik, which is up slightly from where they finished 2023-24 (236th) — but would still project as a Quad 4 game for the Bulldogs if that projection was consistent in the NET Rankings.
NOT YET CONFIRMED – BUCKNELL BISON (257): DEC. 21, THE KENNEL
HC: John Griffin (2nd season) 23-24: 14-19 (10-8 Patriot)
The Bison finished in a four-way tie for second place in the Patriot League standings last season under first-year head coach John Griffin, who was an assistant coach with the program from 2015-19. Griffen took over for Nathan Davis — now at New Hampshire — who guided the Bison to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and top 100 KenPom finishes in 2017 and 2018.
Over the past six seasons, Bucknell hasn’t finished in the top 100 of KenPom and below .500 in five of those seasons.
On the bright side, Griffin returned five of the top six scorers from the 2023-24 team, including junior center Noah Willamson. The 7-0 Latvian averaged 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds to earn All-Patriot third-team honors.
As a whole, Bucknell returned 78.3% of its minutes played from last season, which ranks as the 12th-highest retention rate in the country according to Bart Torvik.
UCLA BRUINS (30): DEC. 28, INTUIT DOME (INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA)
HC: Mick Cronin (6th season) 23-24: 16-17 (10-10 Pac-12)
The West Coast rivalry between the Bulldogs and Bruins has been renewed for the next two seasons, as the two will face off at the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers sometime next season followed by a matchup in Seattle during the 2025-26 season.
Gonzaga, which has won the previous four head-to-head meetings since 2021, will see a much different UCLA squad than it did in Hawaii this past season. Mick Cronin reeled in a top-20 transfer portal class headlined by two-time Pac-12 All-Defense selection Kobe Johnson from USC, former four-star recruit Eric Daily Jr. from Oklahoma State, former Kentucky commit Skye Clark from Louisville and 6-foot-9 forward Tyler Bilodeau from Oregon State.
Four-star recruit Trent Perry, the No. 27 player in the 2024 class according to ESPN, committed to the Bruins after recommitting from USC, which he initially chose over Gonzaga.
The Zags can expect to see at least one very familiar face — Dominick Harris, a former five-star recruit at Gonzaga who transferred to Loyola Marymount before last season, committed to UCLA as a grad transfer this offseason. The 6-foot-3 guard who grew up less than 100 miles away from his new campus led the West Coast Conference in 3-point percentage (44.8%) while averaging a team-high 14.3 points this past season.
The Bruins’ nonleague schedule is highlighted by a neutral site game against Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona, on Dec. 14 and the CBS Sports Classic against North Carolina in Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21.
