When the Gonzaga Bulldogs beat the Oklahoma Sooners 88-72 in last year’s matchup at the Spokane Arena, the venue drew 12,233, the largest in the arena’s history, creating an unbelievable atmosphere at Gonzaga’s home away from The Kennel.
On Saturday, the LSU Tigers will become the latest Power Five team to make their way to the Lilac City and into one of college basketball’s greatest environments, with a fanbase now more amped than ever with the announcement that Florida State transfer Chauncey Wiggins
(13.3 points per game, 39% from beyond the arc) is now eligible.
Wade fully understands how tough it is to play in the Spokane Arena. After Gonzaga throttled the Baylor Bears by 38 points in the season-opener two years ago and handily beat Oklahoma in the raucous environment last year, LSU (3-0) will face their first big test of the season against No. 14 Gonzaga (2-0) in a 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday matchup at the Numerica Veterans Arena.
“[Gonzaga has] another phenomenal team… I think I was the only one dumb enough to go up there and play them. They tried to get everyone else, and we were the only ones dumb enough to sign up for it.” – LSU coach Will Wade
Scouting LSU
While the undefeated Tigers are off to a hot start, they did not receive any votes in the Week 2 AP Poll and have beaten the LSU-New Orleans Privateers, Texas Southern Tigers, and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs by an average of 41.3 points.
The last time Wade and Hall of Fame coach Mark Few matched up was in the NCAA Tournament two years ago, as the No. 5-seeded Zags cruised to a 21-point win over No. 12-seeded Wade’s McNeese State Cowboys, a popular pick in a potential upset. Now, Wade is in his second stint at the helm for LSU, commanding a team that had more offseason fuss than the Zags did. No player from last year’s roster is back for this year.
After all that, the Tigers put together a very intriguing team full of experienced backcourt talent paired with young and talented international bigs that brings a lot of interest to Baton Rouge. Few himself gave props to the outpouring of talent that LSU possesses.
“I’m telling you, [Will Wade’s] got a heck of a roster. Might not be as talented as Duke, but it’s maybe the second most talented roster in college basketball with who they have.” – G0nzaga coach Mark Few
That’s high praise coming from a Hall of Famer, but the praise is warranted. LSU puts out a dynamic backcourt of former UCLA Bruins guards Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark alongside Kansas State Wildcats transfer Abdi Bashir, Jr. Dent, the 2024-25 Mountain West Conference POTY, averaged 13.3 points and 7.6 assists with coach Mick Cronin at UCLA last year as one of the country’s premier playmakers. Clark, who, alongside Dent, received eligibility with the “5-in-5” rule, averaged 11.5 points with the Bruins and is a defensive stalwart on the perimeter (2.3 steals per game in 2026-27), with Dent (3.3 steals per game) by his side.
Bashir Jr., a slim 6’5” guard, is an elite sniper from beyond the arc, averaging 13 points on 44% from three-point land last year with Kansas State before an injury ended his season. Prior to the stop with the Wildcats, Bashir averaged north of 20 points a contest with the Monmouth Hawks and is a scoring threat every time the ball touches his hands.
While the backcourt is full of proven and experienced guards, the bigs on LSU determine the team’s ceiling. Enter seven-foot Croatian freshman Michael Ruzic, an NBA hopeful big man who has great paint touch, can run the floor, and has the ability to stretch to the three-point line as well.
In the first three games of his college career, Ruzic has averaged a team-high 15.7 points and 7.3 boards on 78% shooting from the field. Complementing Ruzic are former Kentucky Wildcats forward Mo Dioubate (12.7 points/5.0 rebounds per game) and the No. 58 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Saliou Niang, a 22-year-old Italian forward who is a dominant paint presence (11.7 points, team-high 10.7 rebounds per game) at just 6’8”.
Of note through the first three games of the year is that the Tigers have struggled mightily from three -point territory (27% as a team), highlighted by Clark’s shooting woes to start the season (1-of-16). Nonetheless, the talent is there — how the talent will mesh is the real question, and LSU has not had to struggle against any of their three weak opponents to start the year. Gonzaga will be a real test.
Keys for the Zags
Now armed with Chauncey Wiggins, this is a roster at full strength on the national stage. Few can go nine deep if he wants to, and with Izan Almansa (foot injury) expected to play after missing Saturday’s win against the New Mexico State Aggies, the Zags can finally put out a full roster.
What to watch for is the defensive matchups that Few decides to go with to deter the LSU frontcourt. Xaivian Lee, Isiah Harwell, and Davis Fogle will all have their hands full against Dent, Clark, and Bashir Jr., but Gonzaga faced UCLA with Dent and Clark last year, so they will have a scout ready. While Dent is the driving force of the offense, Bashir Jr. is the biggest scoring threat. The 6’6” Harwell has been a force defensively this season, and has the ability to guard anyone. Expect him to get the assignment of guarding Dent, while Lee will take Clark and Fogle on Bashir. But this could change at any time during the game.
While there hasn’t been a large sample size on Ruzic or Niang just yet at the collegiate level, how the frontcourt of Braden Huff, Massamba Diop, Almansa, and Wiggins plays will be enormous. The crowd at the Spokane Arena will be raucous for the arrival of Wiggins, who was cleared on Thursday, Nov. 12. Once he checks into the game, adding an elite stretch-big shooting threat to this lineup that has hit 45% from three to start the year.
LSU, and any team with Dent, likes to run the offense with pace. With Ruzic, Wade’s bigs can get down the court in a hurry, meaning this game should be high-paced and fun. How the Zags manage their depth and operate in transition defensively will be huge. Carrying the momentum from the 62-26 second half against New Mexico State, especially defensively, will play a big part. The offense has been stellar, and with Wiggins back and in front of what should be another big home crowd, Gonzaga needs to use that energy to their advantage on both ends of the court.
The game will be streaming live on the USA Network and be available on the radio on 590 AM and 96.1 FM.
