On Monday night, the Sooners opened their 2025-26 season with a 102-66 win over Saint Francis in a game that was 44-43 at halftime. The Sooners’ 57-20 second half was led by Kuol Atak, who scored 18 points, all in the second half.

Alongside Atak, the Sooners had four other players in double figures in the season opener. Mohamed Wague finished with an impressive 16 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Nijel Pack and Xzayvier Brown each had 16 points, and Tae Davis added 14 points.

On Saturday night, Oklahoma will face a completely different challenge as they travel to Spokane, Washington to take on the 21st-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (9:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2). The Bulldogs rank No. 8 in KenPom.

This game, which is a home game for Gonzaga but not played at their usual arena, the Kennel, will without a doubt be Oklahoma’s toughest non-conference test. Here’s an in-depth look at the opponent, as well as some keys to the game for the Sooners.

Scouting the Bulldogs

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Tyon Grant-Foster (7) controls the ball against the Texas Southern Tigers © James Snook

For Mark Few’s squad, it starts with All-American Graham Ike, who averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Bulldogs last season. Ike is one of the best centers in the country, and that was on full display last season in Gonzaga’s Round of 32 loss to Houston when he scored 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

What makes Gonzaga’s frontcourt so dangerous is that they not only have Ike, but also Braden Huff, a point forward who will start at the four alongside him. Huff is in his third season with the program and last year averaged 11 points and 3.4 rebounds. He really emerged as the season went on, posting 18 points and 8 rebounds in Gonzaga’s NCAA Tournament win over Georgia.

The Bulldogs also feature one of the best wings in the country in Tyon Grant-Foster, who transferred from GCU after helping them reach the NCAA Tournament last year. Grant-Foster scored 23 points against Maryland in GCU’s opening-round loss and averaged 14.8 points and 5.9 rebounds on the season. The year before, he averaged 20.1 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Gonzaga also has plenty of talent in the backcourt. Steele Venters is back and healthy after missing the last two seasons with major injuries. Venters last played in the 2022-23 season, when he averaged 15.3 points for Eastern Washington. He is a 6-foot-7 guard who brings great size and scoring.

Braeden Smith is the team’s point guard, and he’s a good one. Smith missed all of last season but previously played for Colgate, where he was the Patriot League Player of the Year in 2023-24. He averaged 12.5 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.5 rebounds while leading Colgate to the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs opened their season on Monday night with a 98-43 win over Texas Southern. In that game, Grant-Foster led the team with 15 points and 5 rebounds on 5-of-7 shooting. Huff scored 14 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Ike added 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Adam Miller scored 13 points off the bench.

Although it’s just one game, Gonzaga looked extremely efficient offensively, rebounded well, and played sound defense. Few’s teams have consistently ranked near the top nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, finishing in the top 10 every year since 2019.

MetricNational RankOffensive Adj. Efficiency6thDefensive Adj. Efficiency13thAdj. Tempo74.2Offensive Effective FG%52ndDefensive Effective FG%1stOffensive Turnover %162ndDefensive Turnover %70thOff. Reb. %1stOffensive FTA/FGA216thDefensive FTA/FGA85th

Keys to the Game

Mo Wague must play his best

Wague had what was likely his best game in an Oklahoma uniform on Monday night with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Sooners fed off his energy, something they haven’t had from a center in a long time. Most importantly, he committed just two fouls.

This matchup against Gonzaga is a different level of challenge. He’ll be tested by an All-American center and one of the best frontcourts in the country. Oklahoma needs Wague to play well and stay on the floor for at least 25 minutes. Wague averaged 7.8 fouls per 40 minutes last season, so playing without fouling will be critical.

If he gets into foul trouble, Oklahoma will turn to true freshman Kai Rogers, who is making his collegiate debut, or use Tae Davis at the five. It is imperative that Wague limits fouls. The Sooners don’t necessarily need another 16 points from him; they just need him to stay on the floor.

Win in transition

Oklahoma guard Xzayvier Brown (1) looks to get past Saint Francis forward Gestin Liberis (21) © NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Gonzaga’s team is big, which could cause problems for Oklahoma on the glass. However, while the Bulldogs have size, they aren’t especially quick. Oklahoma can take advantage of that by pushing the tempo, especially with Xzayvier Brown’s speed.

Texas State stayed competitive early against Gonzaga by scoring in transition. Oklahoma will need to create similar looks to keep pace. That starts with Brown but also involves Davis, Jeff Nwankwo, and Derrion Reid getting downhill.

The Sooners can also get shooters like Nijel Pack and Kuol Atak involved by finding open looks in transition. Oklahoma needs to use its speed and spacing to generate easy offense.

Tae Davis must show up

Your best players have to show up in big games if you want to win, and Davis is one of Oklahoma’s best. He posted 14 points on Monday night and will need to be a focal point offensively in Spokane.

Another key area for Davis will be rebounding. Gonzaga has a great deal of length, so he’ll have to hold his own on the boards to prevent second-chance points.

He doesn’t need to lead the team in scoring, but Oklahoma needs a strong, complete performance from him — something around 20 points and eight rebounds would give the Sooners a real chance.

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