BYU (15-4) vs. No. 1 Gonzaga (18-0)
- Tip: 9 PM MST
- Place: Marriott Center
- TV: ESPN
- Live broadcast: WatchESPN
- Radio: BYU Sports Network on the BYU – Sirius XM 143 / 89.1 FM HD2 and KSL 102.7 FM / 1160 AM radio.
- Series: The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 19-7, with the Zags defeating the Cougars 86-69 on January 7 in Spokane, Washington.
The bets
For BYU: The Cougars are hosting the country’s No. 1 team for the second time in the school’s history. The last time was in 2017, when BYU lost 85 to 75 to the ranking Zags. This could be the Cougars’ last chance during the regular season of a win over a team in the top 100 of the NET ranking – Gonzaga is currently No. 2 – if the games postponed against Saint Mary’s (No. 64) and San Francisco (No. 84) are not reprogrammed.
For Gonzaga: The Zags currently have five games scheduled for the remainder of the regular season, and BYU has the highest NET rating (No. 27), while Gonzaga also has games in San Francisco and at home against Saint Mary’s left. This may be the biggest obstacle remaining for Bulldogs for an undefeated regular season.
The fashions
For BYU: The Cougars have won six out of seven – and two in a row – since losing to Gonzaga at their opening of the West Coast Conference last month.
For Gonzaga: The Zags haven’t lost since their last trip to Provo – on February 22, 2020, when the Cougars took down the then No. 2-Gonzaga 91-78 at the Marriott Center.
Next
BYU’s next scheduled game is now February 18th in the Pacific – although that could change considering that the Cougars have a handful of recently postponed games that can be rescheduled – while the Zags play in San Francisco on Saturday (their scheduled Santa Clara game) to Thursday it was postponed on Monday morning).