Preview: Gonzaga vs. Seattle men's basketball game

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs return to Spokane for their first game of 2026, and first home game in conference play, taking on the Seattle University Redhawks on Friday evening.

Seattle U is back in the WCC after a 45 year absence, joining the conference they called home from 1971-1980 before dropping down from Division I for 29 years, resurfacing in 2009 and joining the WAC from 2012-2025.

The Redhawks, led by fifth year head coach Chris Victor, are off to a fantastic start in 2025-26, boasting a 12-3 record and a 1-1 start in WCC play after a win over Washington State on Tuesday. Seattle also beat Eastern Washington and Washington, making Gonzaga the lone DI program in the state the Redhawks have yet to conquer.

While Seattle will be a new opponent at the McCarthey Athletic Center, it will be a homecoming for Korean forward Jun Seok Yeo, who spent two seasons in Spokane with the Zags in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The 6'8 senior appeared in 39 games with Gonzaga, averaging 2.1 points in 5.9 minutes per game while struggling to crack a frontcourt rotation that included Anton Watson, Ben Gregg, Michael Ajayi, and current Zags Graham Ike and Braden Huff.

Yeo transferred across the state last offseason and is now Seattle's third leading scorer at 11.7 points per game, and will have a chance to show off in front of his old teammates and coaching staff on Friday night.

Seattle boasts one of the top defenses in college basketball, coming in at No. 41 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency, which is the third best among Gonzaga oppnents only behind Michigan and Kentucky. The Redhawks have 85 blocked shots on the season - sixth in the country - and are holding opponents to just 29.5% from the three point line.

All this points to a potentially tough matchup for the Zags, who are looking to rebound after a sloppy second half against San Diego on Tuesday which resulted in just a six point win and a lot of hair pulling and blood pressure spikes for the fanbase.

Graham Ike will need to bounce back after an emotional outburst resulted in him playing very little against the Toreros, while posting ugly 1-5 statline from the free throw line. If Ike and Huff can get back to their high scoring ways around the rim, Gonzaga should find a way to pick up a home win here and a 3-0 start in their final season as members of the West Coast Conference.

Below is a look at how to watch Gonzaga take on Seattle on Friday evening:

How to watch Gonzaga vs. Seattle

Date: Friday, Jan. 2

Game time: 6:00 p.m. PT

Where: The Kennel (Spokane, WA)

How to watch: ESPN+ (KHQ for Spokane market)

How to stream: Fubo (start your free trial)

How to listen: 96.1 FM (local) and Varsity Sports App