It’s going to be a sad feeling when the No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs (20-1, 8-0 WCC) officially stop playing against the Bay Area competition like the San Francisco Dons (13-8, 5-3 WCC), Santa Clara Broncos, and maybe the Saint Mary’s Gaels? Just a maybe on that last one.
The Slipper Still Fits was joined by San Francisco sophomore guard Tyrone Riley before his Dons hit the plane to Spokane to preview the West Coast Conference matchup set for Saturday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. PT on the CBS Sports Network.
After a standout freshman campaign, Riley IV’s scoring numbers jumped. He’s averaging 12.1 points on a shooting split of 50.8 field goal percentage, 43.3 three-point percentage, and 70.6 free throw percentage. That’s to go along with his 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.
He’s following in the line of recent NBA talent to come out of War Memorial Gymnasium in the City by the Bay, like Phoenix Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea and Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo.
This season’s group, under the guidance of coach Chris Gerlufsen and former Zag Kyle Bankhead, had high expectations heading into 2025-26, but hasn’t lived up to the hype. The Dons have had to deal with the ups and downs that come with their challenging non-conference schedule and the West Coast Conference grind.
They had their opportunities. Took a loss at the Memphis Tigers in the FedEx Forum, went winless in the Acrisure Holiday Classic, fell to the Saint Louis Billikens at the Chaifetz Arena, and were upset by the Oregon State Beavers as well as the Loyola Marymount Lions on the road.
At the point spot, the always stable junior guard Ryan Beasley has full control of the offense. In the words of Riley IV, he’s a “twitchy” guard who can get others involved but isn’t afraid to let it loose and find his own ways to score at the two spot, either on the drive or from deep. Beasley does have trouble getting it out to his teammates when double-teams come his way.
The vocal leader on the floor is adding a team-high 14.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game for Gerlufsen’s group.
The status of the 2023 McDonald’s All-American, junior forward Mookie Cook, is unknown at this time. The former Oregon Duck has missed the last seven games for San Francisco with a knee sprain. That’s been a major loss as he has had his moments earlier in the season, showcasing the offensive credibility and overall length on both ends.
Junior forward David Fuchs, a Rhode Island Rams transfer, has stepped up in Cook’s place in the frontcourt. He contributes a team-leading 7.4 rebounds along with his 11.9 points per game on an efficient 50.8 shooting percentage from the field.
The injury bug has been hitting even harder recently for Gonzaga, with graduate forward Graham Ike’s right ankle (questionable) and redshirt junior forward Braden Huff’s left knee (out one to two months). This will be another big opportunity for sophomore center Ismaila Diagne.
Securing the glass while the Zags play small-ball is the name of the game for the Dons in the first of two regular-season matchups between the two schools. San Francisco averages 38.0 rebounds per game as a unit, which isn’t far behind the conference-leading 42.9 per game from Gonzaga.
The Zags have won 33 straight games over the Dons. San Francisco hasn’t won a game in Spokane since 1989. Gonzaga is riding a 13-game winning streak right now, the fifth-longest in college basketball.
In the all-time series dating back to 1979, it’s a large advantage at 77-22 in favor of the Pacific Northwest program. Yes, that did start well after the Bill Russell era and right after the end of the Bill Cartwright era.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
