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It has been a massive offseason of change for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Zags lost 12 players and one coach from last year’s 31-4 team, including the surprise late departure of starting point guard Mario Saint-Supery.
The Zags also had to replace Jack Kayil, a 6’5 guard from Germany who was expected to start before he unexpectedly kept his name in the NBA draft process.
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As if all that wasn’t enough, the program is also preparing for its first year in the new-look Pac-12 conference, leaving the WCC after 46 years to join a league that includes Oregon State, Washington State, Texas State, and five Mountain West defectors: San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State, Boise State, and Fresno State.
While Gonzaga’s roster is still not finalized – the team is pursuing a starting caliber point guard and still has two players, Nathan de Sousa and Izan Almansa, in eligibility limbo – they are currently favored to win the Pac-12 in its first ‘reborn’ season.
However, there are a handful of competitors that will challenge the Zags in 2026-27, including two teams with new head coaches, one with nearly the same starting five as last year, and another that has battled Gonzaga extremely tough in the past.
Below is a look at the four biggest challengers to Gonzaga in the Pac-12 this upcoming season:
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1. Utah State Aggies
Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Utah State Aggies guard Mason Falslev (12) and forward Karson Templin (22) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Utah State is on its fifth head coach since 2020, a seemingly impossible fact when considering the Aggies have gone 147-56 (72.4%) in that stretch, including 78-33 (70.3%) in Mountain West play with two conference titles, five NCAA Tournament berths, and two appearances in the Round of 32.
After Craig Smith, Ryan Odom, Danny Sprinkle, and Jerrod Calhoun all moved on to power conference jobs at Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Cincinnati, respectively, it is now Ben Jacobson’s job to keep the train rolling in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/4-pac-12-teams-gonzaga-181032110.html
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Publish date : 2026-08-13 18:10:00
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