Mar 23, 2025; Cleveland, OH, USA; St. Mary's Gaels head coach Randy Bennett reacts in the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the NCAA Tournament Second Round at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesArden CravalhoSat, January 31, 2026 at 1:54 AM UTC·6 min readWhen recently speaking to the media, coach Mark Few broke the colossal news that team-leading scorer and rebounder, graduate forward Graham Ike, plans to make his return for the pivotal West Coast Conference rivalry matchup on Saturday, Jan. 31, in the Kennel. He has practiced with the rest of his teammates for the last two days.
“He’s had two really, really good practices. Sometimes when you have those ankle sprains, it’s more about the athlete finally getting back out on the floor and trusting himself and trusting that it’s going to be alright. It’s not going to feel great but it’s going to feel alright. So certainly these last two days have been kind of the Graham (Ike) of old.” – Mark Few on ESPN2
The No. 6 Gonzaga Bulldogs (21-1, 9-0 WCC) will still have a tough time dealing with the Saint Mary’s (19-3, 8-1 WCC) overall size, even with Ike’s return, but it’s a massive addition after being without him for the last three contests with right ankle soreness. Gonzaga’s small-ball lineup has paid dividends while dealing with these frontcourt injuries.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Zags are statistically a better rebounding group at 42.6 per game (ranked No. 8 in college basketball), but coach Randy Bennett’s program is a different beast while averaging 39.6 rebounds per game (ranked No. 50 in college basketball). This is one of his deepest teams he’s had since taking the job back in 2001, with nine players averaging over 10 minutes played per game.
The implications couldn’t get any bigger in this battle for the top of the West Coast Conference standings.
Players to Watch For:
Sophomore guard Mikey Lewis
2025-26 season averages: 13.2 points on 38.2 field goal percentage/37.2 three-point percentage/90.6 free throw percentage, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Oakland, California native was known as a Gonzaga killer in the regular season during his freshman campaign. He’s a premier scorer on all three levels, who is also a high-IQ defender with upbeat energy on that side of the floor. Lewis just makes the right plays and doesn’t make a whole lot of mistakes.
Junior forward Paulius Murauskas
2025-26 season averages: team-leading 19.3 points on 48.4 field goal percentage/29.9 three-point percentage/84.1 free throw percentage, 7.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game
The Arizona Wildcats transfer has found tremendous success over the course of his last two seasons in Moraga, California. He leads the West Coast Conference in scoring and is making a case for the Player of the Year. Murauskas can hit tough, contested shots from anywhere on the floor.
Keys to the Game:
Outrebound Saint Mary’s seven-footers
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMuch more than a tall task to box out and eliminate the likes of 7-3 redshirt sophomore center Andrew McKeever (team-leader with 9.4 rebounds per game) and 7-1 senior center Harry Wessels (5.0 rebounds per game). The Gaels actually have another seven-footer, former Pacific Tiger center Jazz Gardner, but he’s redshirting in 2025-26.
The Zags can’t get dominated on the boards, or they will have little chance to come out of this competition victorious.
Be consistent with the quality of three-point attempts
Gonzaga’s three-point woes have returned. In the month of January, the Zags are hitting just 29.2 percent of their looks from beyond the arc on 123 attempts. That’s mostly due to the struggles from graduate wing Steele Venters and graduate guard Adam Miller, who have combined for just 2-for-15 on their supposed expertise in the last two games.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGuard out on the perimeter
On the other hand, Saint Mary’s is the top three-point shooting team in the West Coast Conference at 35.4 percent, behind redshirt freshman guard Liam Campbell’s 54.1 percent and true freshman wing Dillan Shaw’s 43.0 percent. The same goes for the free-throw line at 81.0 percent.
Lock in at the charity stripe
The Zags have struggled mightily making their free ones as of late. On the season, they rank tied for No. 285 out of the 361 programs in the country at 69.0 percent.
Make the Gaels’ ball handlers uncomfortable
Sophomore guard Joshua Dent (team-leader with 5.4 assists per game) is the engineer behind Bennett’s slow-paced offense that utilizes frequent ball screens, hand-offs, and crisp passing that rarely settles for mid-range jumpers.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThese two squads take care of the ball with extreme care and precision. Gonzaga only turns it over 10.3 times per game, Saint Mary’s right behind with 11.2.
Betting Odds:
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Gonzaga is the favorite over Saint Mary’s by 9.5 points. Moneyline for the Zags is at -630 and +450 for the Gaels. The over/under is set at 147.5.
The matchup between the two prominent West Coast universities is set for 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPN with the iconic Sean Farnham and Dave Flemming on the call. Expect the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, to have its most lively environment with the students hyped after camping out the night before. Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s have played 29 times in the last 10 years, more than any other two schools in the nation. The Zags are riding a 14-game winning streak, but the Gaels have a 5-4 winning record over their rival over the last three seasons.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLet’s hope this isn’t the last time that Saint Mary’s competes in the Kennel, as the future of the rivalry is up in the air. Will the Gaels eventually join the Pac-12 Conference? Do the two programs set up a home-and-home series?
For those attending the game, more free giveaways from the popular Japanese anime “One Piece,” plus a special halftime show that will feature ‘King of the Pirates’ Monkey D. Luffy and a t-shirt toss, will be handed out. Keep an eye out.
KenPom/NET UpdateGonzaga has dropped down to No. 10 overall with the No. 19-ranked offense and No. 12-ranked defense in the NCAA, according to KenPom. They’re mostly on the No. 3 seed line for the NCAA Tournament, and Saint Mary’s is on the No.9.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs for the NET rankings, the Zags are No. 4 with a 3-1 record in Quad 1 opportunities and 4-0 in Quad 2. This will be a Quad 1 opportunity for Few’s unit with the No. 30 Gaels.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
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