3 Keys To Victory For Gonzaga Bulldogs Against Washington State In Pullman

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are disconnected to a blistering 17-1 commencement successful nan 2025-26 assemblage hoops season, pinch an disfigured 40 constituent nonaccomplishment against Michigan successful nan Players Era Championship nan lone blemish connected an different sparkly resume for coach Mark Few's team.

Five of those wins person travel successful convention play arsenic nan Zags look to triumph nan WCC 1 last clip earlier making nan jump to nan caller look Pac-12 successful 2026-27.

Joining Gonzaga successful nan caller Pac-12 will beryllium Thursday's opponent, Washington State, who is presently an connection personnel of nan WCC alongside Oregon State aft nan remainder of their convention abandoned them and divided up among nan Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC.

Washington State (8-10, 3-2) sewage disconnected to a slow commencement to statesman coach David Riley's 2nd season, but nan Cougs person fared amended successful convention play, winning astatine Portland and astatine location against Oregon State and LMU pinch roadworthy losses to Seattle and a adjacent 1 against Saint Mary's successful Moraga, 88-82, connected Saturday.

Gonzaga is heavy favored Thursday nighttime successful Pullman, but a roadworthy crippled against a section rival is ne'er easy, and nan Cougs person almost surely had this crippled circled connected their almanac each twelvemonth long.

Below are 3 keys for Gonzaga to unafraid a triumph complete WSU connected Thursday, pinch nan crippled group to extremity astatine 7:00 PM connected nan CBS Sports Network.

1. Get disconnected to accelerated start

Although Gonzaga is undefeated successful 2026, they person yet to get disconnected to a beardown commencement successful immoderate of their 3 January games. Graham Ike willed them to a triumph complete Santa Clara contempt a necktie crippled astatine halftime, while nan Zags needed a precocious push to unit overtime astatine location against convention newcomer Seattle U earlier Tyon Grant-Foster carried them to an 8 constituent victory.

Beasley Coliseum is apt going to bring nan sound connected Thursday night, and it's important Gonzaga doesn't slog done nan first 5 minutes successful Pullman - which will only invigorate nan crowd and successful move nan Cougars, who are coming disconnected a very beardown roadworthy capacity against Saint Mary's.

2. Force turnovers and get retired successful transition

Washington State is among nan astir turnover prone teams successful assemblage basketball. They mean 13.5 turnovers per game, which ranks 306th successful nan country, while KenPom calculates an 18.8% turnover complaint for nan Cougars, which isn't overmuch amended astatine 270th overall.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga has done an fantabulous occupation of forcing turnovers this year, pinch their 20% force turnover complaint putting them 52nd successful nan country.

The fastest measurement to quiet an opposing crowd, particularly 1 arsenic lively arsenic WSU's, is to make unrecorded shot turnovers and person them into easy points successful transition. If Gonzaga is capable to unafraid unrecorded shot turnovers early successful this crippled it will spell a agelong measurement toward taking nan Cougars retired of this crippled early and allowing nan Zags - and their fans - to watch nan 2nd half without needing bosom medicine connected Thursday night.

3. Contain Ace Glass III

Glass was nan No. 223 classed freshman successful nan state erstwhile nan 6'3 defender committed to Washington State, and he intelligibly came to Pullman pinch thing to prove. The Rancho Cucamonga autochthonal is averaging 15.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists for nan Cougars, which included a ridiculous 40 constituent outburst against Arizona State successful nan Maui Invitational, and a stellar 24 point, six rebound nighttime successful Moraga against Saint Mary's connected Saturday, a crippled nan Cougars mislaid by conscionable six.

Gonzaga will apt commencement nan crippled pinch Emmanuel Innocenti - 1 of coach Few's champion on-ball defenders successful caller representation - lined up other Glass, pinch Jalen Warley, Tyon Grant-Foster, and perchance Mario Saint-Supery getting cracks astatine him arsenic well.

Glass is reliable because he tin get downhill and people astatine nan rim, tin sprout adequately from beyond nan arc, and has grown successful his expertise to tie interaction and get to nan free propulsion line. However, he's not overmuch of a facilitator, while WSU's discourtesy does not person overmuch punch extracurricular nan freshman.

Simply put, nan way to a WSU triumph becomes really, really difficult if Glass doesn't person a beardown performance. Shut him down and nan Zags almost surely time off Pullman pinch a triumph and a 6-0 commencement successful convention play.