Another matchup to prepare the Zags before their final non-conference test against #18 UCLA at the Intuit Dome on Saturday, December 28th and West Coast Conference game tips. A must-have on the resume if coach Mark Few’s group wants a shot at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Bison (4-7) of the Patriot League have tested themselves on the road this season. A 100-72 loss at Kentucky, a 91-76 loss at Maryland and now this trip to Spokane. According to KenPom, Bucknell ranks 332nd overall in adjusted offensive efficiency and 157th in adjusted defensive efficiency. On the season, coach John Griffin III’s squad is allowing 75.7 points per game.

Gonzaga is hoping for its fourth game of the season with over 100 points, as they did just earlier this week against Baylor, UMass Lowell and Nicholls. The Zags average 89.5 PPG, which is the third highest in the country.

No serious changes were made to the rotation after losses to Kentucky and UConn. Few seem to trust his boys not to act too drastically at this point, especially Graham Ike.

“It’s a few possessions away. We understand this, we are not panicking. Ultimately it is December. I feel like we were in a worse spot last year.” -Graham Ike

The overreaction to Gonzaga in December is pretty accurate. It’s their worst month in history as they test their limits against top competition, which only prepares them for the future. Since 2021-22, the Zags have an overall record of 16-7 in December. For comparison: Gonzaga has only lost 21 games since the start of the 2021/22 season.

Players to watch out for:

Josh Bascoe (Senior, Guard) – 14.1 PPG on 43.3 FG%, 4.7 RPG, 3.8 APG

In his fourth season with the Bison, Bascoe has moved into a full-time starting role as lead guard. The Canadian native is familiar with Ryan Nembhard’s game from his childhood in his home country’s basketball scene. On Saturday it will be a battle of pride between Nembhard and Bascoe.

He finished with 15 points on 6-12 FG/2-5 3PT and 5 assists in the loss at Lexington on November 9th.

Ike should continue to build on his comeback performance against Nicholls after his struggles against UConn at Madison Square Garden. His match against Bucknell is junior center Noah Williamson, who is averaging 13.4 PPG to go along with a team-leading 6.5 RPG and 1.5 BPG.

When Ike doesn’t show up, Braden Huff takes over from the frontcourt bench. In West Coast Conference play, the sophomore appears ready to take his game to a whole new level.

No. 13 Zags (8-3) host the Bison at McCarthey Athletic Center on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. PT on KHQ/ESPN+ for their final game before Christmas.

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