A scrimmage in October is not the time to overreact and to take everything coming out of it with a grain of salt. Especially with a 2026-27 roster that isn’t even finalized less than two weeks before the season opener on Nov. 2.
Check out the current statuses of the multiple 5-in-5 and international Zags under coach Mark Few.
- Dayton Flyers transfer/point guard Javon Bennett: eligible after a stay in the state of Ohio
- Florida Gators transfer/point guard Xaivian Lee: eligible after a preliminary injunction in the state of California
- Florida State Seminoles transfer/forward Chauncey Wiggins: ineligible after a stay in the state of Georgia
- Spain’s Real Madrid forward/center Izan Almansa: ineligible, waiting on NCAA waiver
Here are three questions heading into this practice test with coach John Calipari and the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks hosting the No. 15 Gonzaga Bulldogs at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville,
Arkansas.
Will Gonzaga’s three-point marks make a jump across the board?
The Zags struggled mightily last season with shooting from deep, finishing No. 218 in the nation at 33.3 percent through 35 games. At Kraziness in the Kennel on Oct. 3, both groups combined for 56.2 percent on 18-32 three-point shooting in 20 minutes of action. Houston Cougars transfer and shooting guard Isiah Harwell, along with Wiggins, have brought along high hopes in the department.
Despite dealing with some back discomfort, Harwell finished with 17 points on 4-for-5 from deep in the recent scrimmage. If healthy, he has the chance to be one of the top newcomers and bench pieces in the Pac-12 while improving his overall stock drastically.
In general, this upcoming offensive group can be dangerous if they stretch the floor in a consistent manner, to go along with their validated interior presence.
Can the new backcourt personnel properly support the frontcourt depth?
The current positive eligibility standings of French point guard Nathan De Sousa, along wth the Bennett and Lee for now, bring up a familiar thought from the start of last season. How often will fans see a two-point guard lineup? Bennett and Lee? De Sousa and Lee?
If Wiggins isn’t eligible, you can slide sophomore wing Davis Fogle to the three spot. That’s where the dunk contest winner and Kraziness scoring record holder with 30 points thrives.
Expect everyone in Gonzaga’s frontcourt to see some sort of minutes in Fayetteville, even the very last of the redshirt big men to come through the Pacific Northwest program, sophomore Parker Jefferson. His mother, Carrie, played basketball at Arkansas, and his father, Mike, played football there as well.
Team leader and redshirt senior power forward Braden Huff hasn’t received the preseason national recognition as he is coming off a previous campaign that was cut short by a dislocated left kneecap back in January. That’s just more fuel to the fire.
How does this group as a whole perform on the defensive end against star power-led teams?
As every non-conference slate presents itself now, the Zags will challenge themselves against some of college basketball’s most elite rosters.
Yet another collection of highly recruited freshmen under Calipari, of course. 6-2 guard Jordan Smith Jr., 6-2 guard Davion Thompson, 6-5 wing Abdou Toure, 6-6 freshman wing JJ Andrews, 7-0 forward Miikka Muurinen, and 6-11 center Caleb Ourigou. That’s arguably the top 2026 high school recruiting class in the country, led by the Finland-born Muurinen.
But this isn’t just your typical Calapri roster filled with potential one-and-done first-year players. 6-1 junior guard Jeremiah Wilkinson is a proven three-level scoring threat during his stops with the California Golden Bears in 2024-25 and the Georgia Bulldogs in 2025-26. 6-7 junior wing Billy Richmond III is the longest-tenured Razorback on this team under Calipari and is a thunderous high-flyer when cutting to the basket.
Calipari spoke to the media on Oct. 22, explaining how he and Few, who had his close friend be one of his presenters at his Naismith Hall of Fame induction in August, were not going to go easy on each other.
Even if it is an exhibition, both teams will not set up any sort of defensive zone and will throw some presses out. That’s exactly what these late October tuneups were created for.
The SEC Network+ will air this preseason matchup at 1 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
