From the very start of the season, it was expected to be a rough non-conference portion of the schedule for Gonzaga Basketball. They participated in the Maui Invitational, with a historically stacked group outside of host Chaminade. The Bulldogs took on Purdue and actually had a second-half lead before losing.
Gonzaga did win its next two games, beating UCLA and Syracuse, hoping that those wins look good going forward. The next two matchups were against Pac-12 programs in USC and Washington, which the WCC program was able to split. UConn was the next marquee opponent, a game in which Gonzaga was a clear underdog in. The end result showed that, losing 76-63.
The most recent game for the Bulldogs was at home against San Diego State, a program who just went to the Final Four and is a likely favorite in the Mountain West. This time, the better non-power conference program on the court was the Aztecs, who gave the Bulldogs another defeat.
While a February road matchup with Kentucky is on the non-con schedule, Gonzaga Basketball will now be getting ready for WCC play, with home games against Pepperdine and San Diego coming up. At 9-4, there are plenty of positives and negatives to take away from this program before league play starts.
Here are four things to analyze on the Bulldogs' side.