Gonzaga Basketball: 3 keys to victory over Baylor on opening night

A top-ten matchup looms on college basketball’s opening night with the sixth-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs set to take on the eighth-ranked Baylor Bears in Spokane Arena on Monday night. The Zags will look to avenge its 2021 national championship loss to the Bears -- but it won’t be an easy feat considering Gonzaga and Baylor have Final Four aspirations.

Take a look at three keys for a Gonzaga victory as it opens the 2024-25 season.

1.) Limit Baylor’s backcourt impact, especially on the perimeter

There is no question Scott Drew assembled arguably the top backcourts in the country. Duke transfer Jeremy Roach, who is set to take over ball-handling duties for the Bears, followed by Jayden Nunn and five-star SG VJ Edgecombe is as daunting of a three-guard starting lineup as it comes. Add in last year’s sixth-man Langston Love -- who shot 48% from three last season -- in the rotation and its backcourt gets even more potent.

Last year, Baylor was among the top three-point shooting teams in the country, shooting 39.5% from behind the arc. Once again, the Bears are primed to be among college basketball’s top three-point shooting teams. Roach shot 43% from three last season. Nunn shot 44% from three last season. Edgecombe is a terrorizing transition, at-the-rim scorer who will open up the floor for opportunities on the perimeter. The Zags will need to limit the backcourt impact Monday night.

2.) Pace. Pace. Pace.

We all know about Baylor’s potent, high-scoring offense. But how about the Zags? Last season, Gonzaga averaged 83.4 PPG and was fifth in the country in KenPom’s offensive efficiency. For a team that returns over 80% of its minutes, Gonzaga will (unsurprisingly) be among the nation’s highest-scoring teams.

In a top-ten matchup that bodes many similarities stylistically, Gonzaga must control the pace. Having Ryan Nembhard -- who averaged nearly seven APG last season -- and Nolan Hickman man the backcourt is a superb start.

Yet the key to controlling the place lies in Gonzaga’s newcomers: Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi and Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle. Ajayi and Battle are both prolific scorers (and expect big roles this season) that can help take the ease off of Graham Ike down low if able to get open in passing lanes if/when Ike draws a double team. How they adjust will be key when dictating the pace against Baylor’s fast-paced offense.

3.) Win the frontcourt battle

Graham Ike versus Norchad Omier. Take your pick. Ike enters the 2024-25 season with lofty expectations after a stellar season last year, averaging 16.5 PPG and 7.4 RPG for the Zags. Ike was recently named in the 2025 Karl Malone Watchlist. But so was Miami (FL) transfer Norchad Omier, who has averaged a double-double in each of his four years in college, both at Miami (FL) and Arkansas State. 

Benn Gregg -- who molded as a true stretch-forward last year after entering the starting lineup -- and Baylor’s Josh Ojianwuna will also spot frontcourt minutes. Gregg poses as a perimeter threat. Ojianwuna is a pick-and-roll lob threat. Ike and Omier are terrific rebounders who shot nearly 50% (and over) of their FGA at the rim, according to Hoop Math. The Zags will need to control the frontcourt battle for a victory on opening night.