The Gonzaga University Men’s Basketball team travels on the road to play the University of Santa Clara Saturday night in the Leavey Center. The two leaders in the WCC standings have already played once this year in Spokane. Gonzaga won the game 89-77 behind 34 points from center Graham Ike. This rematch stands out as one of the premier games on a loaded Saturday of college basketball.
Santa Clara so far
Santa Clara is having their best season since 1997, the last time they won a WCC title. Three of Santa Clara’s five losses have come against projected NCAA Tournament teams, a key reason the Broncos are viewed as an at-large bid in most bracket projections. Their best wins came against Saint Mary’s and Minnesota.
KenPom and Evan Miya both rank the Broncos among the top 38 teams in the country. They are a balanced, well-coached team that forces turnovers (18th in NCAAB) while also protecting the ball well (142nd in NCAAB). The Broncos’ best attribute may be their depth, with 9 players logging consistent minutes.
They are led by guard Christian Hammond, one of the more underrated scorers in the country. The redshirt sophomore is one of 12 players in the country to average at least 16 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range. Elijah Mahi and Allen Graves form a good frontcourt that has been great second and third options for Santa Clara.
Gonzaga so far
Gonzaga is currently projected as a No. 4 seed, though that outlook took a hit following an upset loss to 12–15 Portland. Before that game, the Bulldogs’ only defeat had come against Michigan in the Players Era Tournament final. Gonzaga owns five Quad 1 wins—against Alabama, Kentucky, UCLA, Saint Mary’s, and Santa Clara—all by eight points or more. Early-season blowouts of Oklahoma and Creighton once appeared to be potential Quad 1 victories, but both teams have since struggled in conference play.
Analytically, Gonzaga ranks inside the top 13 nationally, with depth and lineup versatility serving as its biggest strengths. Like Santa Clara, the Bulldogs thrive on rotation flexibility, as Mark Few regularly plays nine to ten guys, each bringing a different skill set.
Ike, a Wooden Award finalist, leads the team with 19.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs suffered a major setback when Braden Huff, their most efficient scorer, injured his knee during conference play and has missed multiple weeks. There remains no clear timetable for his return, a significant blow given that Huff and Ike formed one of the nation’s best frontcourts.
On the perimeter, Mario Saint-Supéry serves as Gonzaga’s primary playmaker. The Spanish guard is highly crafty in pick-and-roll situations, consistently threading accurate passes through tight windows.
Prediction
Although Gonzaga defeated Santa Clara by 12 earlier this season, this matchup should be much tighter. That meeting took place in Spokane, and the Bulldogs had not yet lost Braden Huff to injury. With their NCAA Tournament hopes on the line and a chance to seize control of the conference race, Santa Clara will be highly motivated.
Still, Gonzaga has consistently risen to the occasion in big games. Even without Huff, the Bulldogs have multiple players capable of making winning plays. The decisive factor remains Santa Clara’s difficulty in matching Ike’s size and physicality, which proved the key difference in the first meeting. Expect another strong performance from Ike and for Gonzaga to reclaim the top spot in the conference standings.
Gonzaga 85 – Santa Clara 80
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