Despite coach Mark Few having 11 newcomers, the No. 15 Gonzaga Bulldogs (1-0, 0-0 Pac-12) looked like a group that has known each other for years in this neutral environment at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This team has only had a short time together with all the offseason mumbo-jumbo, yet they look already extremely comfortable with one another. Gonzaga led the Purdue Boilermakers (0-1, 0-0 Big Ten) for 34 minutes and 43 seconds of this 40-minute matchup, while finding a way to come out
on top of the rebounding battle 34-31 against a much larger opponent.
Keep in mind, this is also an extremely brand-new roster for coach Matt Painter in the post-Braden Smith era, as well as no longer having shooting guard Fletcher Loyer (graduated; G League’s San Diego Clippers), power forward/center Trey Kaufman-Renn (Kansas Jayhawks transfer), and power forward/center Oscar Cluff (graduated; Turkey’s Korfez Basket) available. Not much experience or veteran leadership that this program is so used to having.
As is present every season, Purdue has a giant on their roster. The big man battle down low between 7-1 sophomore Massamba Diop (seven points on 2-for-3 field goals/1-for-1 three-pointer/2-for-2 free throws, two rebounds, four personal fouls in 16 minutes) and junior Daniel Jacobsen (tied for game-high 22 points on 9-for-11 field goals, seven rebounds, four personal fouls in 27 minutes) was the one to keep an eye on heading into.
The Zags picked their moments and found ways to put Jacobsen in dribble-handoff situations or make him switch in pick-and-rolls as a defender. Getting the 7-4 center in early foul trouble with three of his own in the first half and matching their points in the paint at 28 shows how much more of a defensive-minded group this can be than fans may be used to in Spokane, Washington.
Unfortunately, Diop dealt with staying on the floor himself after sitting the final four minutes of the first half. The Arizona State Sun Devils transfer, along with redshirt senior power forward Braden Huff (10 points on 4-for-11 shooting and seven rebounds), struggled to find buckets near the rim when Jacobsen was on the floor. Quite a few missed bunnies at the rim from the pair.
Fifth-year point guard Xaivian Lee and sophomore wing Davis Fogle stole the show, looking extremely comfortable together in the open floor. Fogle especially when showing his ability to go baseline and use that long wingspan of his anywhere around the rim.
The impactful backcourt duo combined for 40 points on a shooting split of 10-of-25 from the field/4-of-9 from beyond the arc/16-of-19 at the line, to go along with nine rebounds and five assists/two turnovers. They were the reason that Gonzaga was able to withstand that second-half comeback from Purdue.
It’s just wonderful to have reliable lead guard play like “Spider-Man” possesses, which I have anointed as Lee’s new nickname.
Few had this to say on the Florida Gators transfer’s first time officially suiting up for the Zags against the no-slouch opening opponent in the Boilermakers.
“He’s really been shooting the heck out of the ball all fall. He does a great job, especially bringing it in pace and then creating a little bit of shaking the guy down and creating some space so he can get his three off. He’s got a great step-back three, and when he lets it fly, I think the whole team really trusts that shot. I thought he also broke down their pressure a lot. They loved their full-court press, and we were able to kind of keep our secondary break going even though they were kind of jamming us in the backcourt.”
What really has been impressive to see from Fogle is his change in approach to the game. An overall aggressiveness and confidence jump from Year 1 to Year 2. He was barking at the Boilermakers and showing off the muscle he put on in the offseason.
A much more mature presence from Fogle. An all-around fearless three-level scorer.
The three-point shooting consistency left a bit more to be desired, failing to hit wide-open looks in the second half. The execution was all there, just about seeing it go through the net after hitting 6-for-16. Still a 38 percent mark.
Thankfully, they continuously found ways to get to the charity stripe, going 26-for-34 at a 76 percent clip.
Gonzaga’s bench is as endless and as balanced as it’s ever been in recent years, with the chance to go 10- or 11-man deep if fifth-year forward Chauncey Wiggins can receive an additional year of eligibility. It will be interesting to see where this starting and finishing lineup ends up come Pac-12 Conference time. Will junior forward/center Izan Almansa (11 points on 4-of-6 makes, four rebounds, and four personal fouls in 29 minutes), who’s a luxury to have come off the bench right now, be moved up in the rotation in one or two months’ time?
Few ended the postgame press conference with the media in Sin City touching on the 21-year-old Spaniard’s impact after waiting patiently for the NCAA’s approval, while comparing him to another international frontcourt talent from the past.
“He’s been just a pleasant surprise. He’s just an easygoing guy. He reminds me so much of Killian Tillie with how you can initiate offense with him. He’s got a wonderful feel for the game. You can have him bring the ball up the floor, and I think these guys would tell you that he’s the type of player who is really easy to play with. And I think he’s come along. We’re asking him to be more and more aggressive offensively. I thought he did a nice job with that tonight… And I would just say, hey, look, Huff missed a couple, but Huff really battled tonight. He was great on defense. He was great on the defensive boards. It’s not easy shooting over that 7-4 guy, and he just missed a couple ones that kind of rolled out that don’t usually roll out, so they’ll be fine.”
The Zags have won 22 straight season openers, but are 0-5 all-time against the Boilermakers. A high-quality win on their resume to open up the 2026-27 campaign. Although starting the season unranked, Purdue has a real shot to make a run and go back-to-back as Big Ten Conference Tournament champions.
Next on the non-conference schedule is their home opener at the McCarthey Athletic Center against the New Conference USA’s Mexico State Aggies on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2:00 p.m. PT on KHQ/ESPN Unlimited.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
