Ranking the toughest players Gonzaga will face in 2025-26 non-conference slate

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are not afraid to play anyone, anywhere, at any time, and that was made abundantly clear when the team released its extraordinarily competitive non-conference schedule last week.

Seven of the 12 known opponents for Gonzaga are listed among the top 45 teams in the country by Jon Rothstein, and the Zags will play most of those teams away from Spokane.

Kentucky, UCLA, Oregon, Alabama, Creighton, Maryland, and Oklahoma are some of the best teams in college hoops, and a true road game against Arizona State won't be a walk in the park either.

Each of these matchups presents a unique challenge for this Gonzaga roster from navigating life away from Spokane, to playing teams with elite outside shooting, tough physical defenders, or a really slow pace Gonzaga will be plenty battle-tested when conference play gets underway in late December.

It isn't just the teams that will test Gonzaga; some of the individual players on these rosters could end up being matchup nightmares for the Zags as well.

Below is a look at the ten toughest individual players Gonzaga will match up against during the non-conference season: 1.

Otega Oweh, Combo Guard, Kentucky Wildcats Oweh is the kind of player Gonzaga always struggles with.

He's a sturdy 6'5 wrecking ball who loves to get downhill, and will feast if the Zags aren't able to effectively protect the rim.

He's also a strong outside shooter and playmaker, and thrived in coach Mark Pope's system last year.

Kentucky has a litany of talented guards, including Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe and Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen, but Oweh is the toughest matchup for the Zags by a considerable margin, and will be the biggest x-factor in this highly anticipated matchup.

2.

Donovan Dent, Point Guard, UCLA Bruins Dent was one of the best players in all of college basketball last year at New Mexico, averaging 20.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 50.2% on twos and 40.9% from three.

While UCLA plays a slower-paced style of basketball, Dent is going to be a fantastic fit for coach Mick Cronin, and his scoring and playmaking ability will be a major challenge for the Zags to overcome in Seattle.

3.

Nate Bittle, Center, Oregon Ducks Gonzaga pursued Bittle out of high school before ultimately landing Ben Gregg, and the 7'0 big man has developed into an absolute force for Dana Altman and the Ducks.

Last year, Bittle averaged 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting nearly 59% on two-pointers and 33.6% from deep.

His ability to space the floor, score around the rim, and block shots will make life difficult for Graham Ike and Braden Huff and could spell trouble for the Zags in Portland.

4.

Labaron Philon, Point Guard, Alabama Crimson Tide Philon is a big, physical guard with a high motor and exceptional playmaking skills.

It's hard to replace Mark Sears for Alabama, but Philon has the skills to break down opposing defenses and get to the rim.

He's also a pesky defender who averaged 1.4 steals per game last year, and it's not hard to imagine him giving trouble to Braeden Smith and Mario Saint-Supery all night long in Las Vegas.

5.

Jayden Quaintance, Center, Kentucky Wildcats Gonzaga saw Quaintance last year when he was a 17-year-old at Arizona State, and could see him again when the team faces Kentucky in Nashville.

Quaintance is currently recovering from ACL surgery and is expected back sometime in late November or early December so it's unclear when exactly he will actually suit up for coach Mark Pope and the 'Cats.

If he does make it back by this game, his elite rim protection and low-post scoring will make life much more difficult on Ike and Huff in this big-time noncon showdown.

6.

Xzayvier Brown, Combo Guard, Oklahoma Sooners Playing Gonzaga in Spokane will be one of the biggest tests of Brown's career, who will be playing one of his first ever games at a high major institution after transferring to Oklahoma from Saint Joe's.

Brown averaged 17.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists with the Hawks, and should be a dynamic playmaker for coach Porter Moser alongside Miami transfer guard Nijel Pack.

7.

Jackson Shelstad, Point Guard, Oregon Ducks Oregon's two-man game between Bittle and Shelstad will be one of the best in all of college basketball this season.

Shelstad averaged 13.7 points per game last year, shooting over 50% on two-pointers and 37.9% from deep on five attempts per game.

At 6'0, Shelstad has learned how to navigate around bigger guards, and his playmaking skills and outside shooting will be a big test for Gonzaga's backcourt defensively.

8.

Josh Dix, Shooting Guard, Creighton Bluejays Dix is one of two big-time transfers from Iowa to join the Bluejays this upcoming season, alongside big man Owen Freeman.

Dix is the tougher matchup for Gonzaga, however, thanks to his positional size at 6'5 and elite three point shooting.

The senior hit 42.2% of his threes last year on nearly five attempts per game, and is a threat to get red hot at any time.

If Gonzaga's struggles defending the perimeter show up again this season, Dix could hand the Zags an early-season home loss.

9.

Pharrel Payne, Center, Maryland Terrapins Payne is one of multiple transfers following Buzz Williams from Texas A&M to Maryland, and he's arguably the most impactful.

The 6'9 big man averaged 10.4 points in barely 20 minutes per game last year, but it was back-to-back monster outings in the NCAA Tournament 25 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Yale and 26 points in a loss to Michigan that have him looking like a true breakout star heading into this season.

10.

Moe Odum, Point Guard, Arizona State Sun Devils Odum is one of two familiar faces on Arizona State's roster this upcoming season, alongside former Gonzaga commit Marcus Adams Jr.

While both will be challenging one-on-one matchups for Gonzaga, Odum has played against this team each of the past three seasons and nearly willed Pepperdine to a win last year with a 24-point, eight-assist performance.

Not only is Odum a gifted scorer, but he's a crafty passer who will find ways to break down Gonzaga's defense when these two teams square off in Tempe..

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