Gonzaga’s stock up, stock down after exhibition loss to Arkansas

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs took a road trip to Fayetteville to open up the exhibition season, falling 76-72 to John Calipari and Arkansas on Saturday afternoon.

The Zags were without star sophomore Davis Fogle, who was held out with a left leg injury that isn’t considered serious. That is huge news for Gonzaga, who stumbled offensively without the star wing in the mix – shooting an abysmal 6-28 from three with 10 turnovers compared to just 13 assists.

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Below is a look at which players increased their stock, and which ones did not, in Gonzaga’s exhibition loss on Saturday – and what it means for Gonzaga’s starting lineup when the season gets underway officially in nine days:

1. Gonzaga’s starting five remains intact – for now

Oct 24, 2026; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34) shoots the ball over Arkansas Razorbacks forward Caleb Ourigou (0) during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The caveat here being that Gonzaga did not roll out what is expected to be their starting lineup on Saturday, due to Fogle’s absence. If we assume Fogle would have started over Nathan de Sousa, that starting five remains the best option for coach Few and the Zags this upcoming season.

Xaivian Lee was pretty clearly the best point guard on the floor, dropping eight points with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 19 minutes, far outperforming de Sousa and Javon Bennett.

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Meanwhile Isiah Harwell looked excellent with nine points on 4-6 shooting, while Braden Huff led the team with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Izan Almansa did outplay Massamba Diop, who dealt with foul trouble and turnover issues in a forgettable afternoon, but his rim protection is so crucial to this team’s defensive identity it’s hard to imagine him falling out of the starting lineup – at least not yet.

2. Stock up: Izan Almansa and Luca Foster make their cases

Oct 24, 2026; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Izan Almansa (13) dunks…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gonzagas-stock-stock-down-exhibition-210002587.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-25 21:00:00

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