Game Preview: The Start of West Coast Conference Play for the Zags

The No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs’ farewell tour with all 11 other West Coast Conference programs (possibly not with the Saint Mary’s Gaels?) begins against the Pepperdine Waves (5-8 overall record) at the Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California. In 100 games between the two programs dating back to the 1954-55 season, Gonzaga has been well in control, 69-31.

The Zags played some top-notch ball in their tough non-conference schedule, finishing with a 12-1 overall record with the best scoring margin of the Mark Few era at 24.8 points per game (fourth-highest just behind the Iowa State Cyclones, Georgia Bulldogs, and Michigan Wolverines). This group is riding a high and could go untouched all the way until March Madness, potentially receiving a No. 1 seed. As of right now, they look to be safely on the No. 2 line.

Under second-year coach Ed Schilling, the Waves are considered to be the worst team in the league. This is the way to continue building up the confidence for Few’s group and start the grueling grind that West Coast Conference play can be, just to stay motivated.

It will also be a reunion of sorts for redshirt forward Pavle Stosic, who played in Spokane during the 2023-24 season. This will be his first career game against Gonzaga. Stosic leads Pepperdine with 0.8 blocks per game.

Pepperdine Player to Watch For:

Sophomore guard Aaron Clark

2025-26 season averages: 14.5 points on 40.8 field goal percentage/32.8 three-point percentage/78.8 free throw percentage, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, team-leading 1.6 steals per game

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons transfer has found immediate success elsewhere, completely across the country. With Pepperdine, the 6-6 Clark can light up a scoreboard at any given time. He has scored 25+ points three times already through the first 13 games of the season.

Feed the beast in Braden Huff

The redshirt junior forward leads the team in scoring at 19.1 points per game on 66.7 percent shooting from the field (ranked No. 7 in the nation). He has finished with 20+ points in seven of his last nine performances.

Coming off his second West Coast Conference Player of the Week award of his career, Huff has had one of the more underrated stretches of dominance inside the paint.

Preach defensive effort from the start

The Zags will go as far as their defense will allow them to. Championships are won on the side of the floor, so begin to focus on that end from the end of December all the way to the final game. The Waves have the 287th-least scoring offense in the NCAA at 74.5 points per game. Gonzaga ranks tied for the No. 59 scoring defense in all the land at 67.5 points allowed per game.

Continue the recent newfound success from beyond the arc

Since the demoralizing 101-61 loss to Michigan at the Players Era Festival title game in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Zags have been hot at the three-point line over their last five games (40-for-86 at 46.5 percent).

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Gonzaga is the favorite over Pepperdine by a massive 28.5 points. The over/under is set at 152.5. The Zags are riding a five-game winning streak.

Gonzaga has won 29 consecutive conference openers dating back to 1996 and is a perfect 26-0 in conference openers under Few.

Tip-off is set for Sunday, Dec. 28, at 5:00 p.m. PT on ESPN+/SWX. Expect freshman lead guard Mario Saint-Supery to be 100 percent healthy for the Zags, who was dealing with flu-like symptoms in the last 91-82 positive outing against the Oregon Ducks in Portland, Oregon, on Dec. 21.

The race for Gonzaga’s No. 29 West Coast Conference regular-season title in program history begins now, the first since the 2023 season.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho