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The start of a new college basketball season is finally upon us. On Monday night, Purdue will play No. 15 Gonzaga in the Hall of Fame Series to begin the 2026-27 campaign in Las Vegas. It’s a challenging opening test for Matt Painter’s squad.
Historically, Purdue and Gonzaga have not met often, playing just five times. However, these two teams have met three times in the last five years, including twice during the 2023-24 season. Purdue leads the all-time series 5-0, but getting a sixth win over the Bulldogs won’t be easy.
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What do we know about Gonzaga heading into the 2026-27 season? Here are a few things to highlight about Purdue’s first opponent.
Returning two top-four scorers from last season
Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Davis Fogle (4) drives the ball. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Gonzaga only returns 30% of its scoring from last season, but it does bring back two of its top-four scorers from the 2025-26 squad. That tandem is headlined by Braden Huff, a 6-foot-10 fifth-year forward who averaged 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season. The other is 6-foot-7 guard Davis Fogle, who posted 8.6 points and 3.1 boards per game.
Both guys are capable of scoring in different ways and create matchup problems for Purdue. Fogle’s size at the guard spot will create a matchup problem for the Boilermakers around the perimeter. Huff’s mobility for his size is going to present challenges for Purdue big men Daniel Jacobsen and Caden Pierce, too.
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Productive big men
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Izan Almansa (13) dunks the ball. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I’ve already highlighted what Huff can do on the floor, but he’s not the only guy in Gonzaga’s frontcourt who is productive. Mark Few added 6-foot-10 forward Izan Almansa from France and 7-foot-1 center Massamba Diop from Arizona State.
Almansa played international basketball before committing to Gonzaga and really popped in the team’s exhibition game against Arkansas. He scored 14 points, grabbed six…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/5-things-know-purdue-basketballs-155008012.html
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Publish date : 2026-11-01 15:50:00
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