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The Gonzaga Bulldogs will host the Denver Pioneers for a game in the 2018-19 season. The Pioneers finished third in the Summit League last season.
Gonzaga will host Denver as part of its 2018-19 non-conference schedule, per a source.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 4, 2018
Denver is coached by Rodney Billups, the younger brother of former NBA star Chauncey Billups. The younger Billups has been at the helm for two seasons.
This isn’t the sexiest of picks, but this is also much better than scheduling a team like Howard. Denver was a sub-200 KenPom team last season, but has shown some promise and growth in previous years.
The Zags, however, don’t need to fill in very much for the non-conference schedule—even if they have grand dreams of hitting a No. 1 seed. The Zags already have two true road games against North Carolina and Creighton on the docket, as well as the return of the rapidly improved Washington Huskies to Spokane. Throw in a Maui Invitation Tournament featuring the likes of Arizona, Auburn, Duke, Illinois, Iowa State, San Diego State, and Xavier, and we shouldn’t expect too many big surprises for next season. If anything, those larger non-conference games are hammered out a couple of years in advance.