Gonzaga releases 2017-18 non-conference schedule

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have released their full non-conference slate for the 2017-18 season, highlighted by games against Creighton, Villanova, and the Phil Knight Invitational.

A majority of the schedule has been known for quite some time, and so we sat here biding our time for the rest of it to be filled out. Here is the full schedule, alongside last year’s Ken Pomeroy rankings for added context.

• Nov. 4, The College of Idaho, Spokane (exhibition)
• Nov. 10, Texas Southern (No. 212), Spokane
• Nov. 14, Howard (No. 338), Spokane
• Nov. 18, Utah State (No. 130), Spokane
• Nov. 23-26, Phil Knight Invitational, Portland
• Nov. 29, Incarnate Word (No. 304), Spokane
• Dec. 1, Creighton (No. 28), Spokane
• Dec. 5, Villanova (No. 2), New York City
• Dec. 10, Washington (No. 163), Seattle
• Dec. 16, North Dakota (No. 168), Spokane
• Dec. 18, IUPUI (No. 198), Spokane
• Dec. 21, San Diego State (No. 78), San Diego

All in all, the schedule, as we figured, isn’t a half bad one. The Zags have lined up some fun matchups (San Diego State and Washington) on the road, and then there are the heavy hitters against fellow Jesuit schools Villanova and Creighton and non Jesuit school Villanova.

Of course, the cream of the schedule is the Phil Knight Invitational, also known as the PK80. The Zags will face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the opening round, which is akin to facing off against a Division III school (or so we hear). After that however, there are some tantalizing possible opponents. The rest of Gonzaga’s bracket consists of Florida, Stanford, Butler, Texas, Portland State, and Duke.

Barring an utter collapse during that tournament, the Zags should run through the non-conference schedule with anywhere from five to six opponents ranked in the RPI top 50, with the potential for quite a few top 25 opponents as well.

We are getting closer gang. So much closer.