Cougars to put unbeaten mark on line against Zags

Both teams coming off tournament wins

SPOKANE — No. 17 Gonzaga will play Washington State today in an early showdown for two surging programs that have already won from Alaska to Hawai’i.

The Zags (5-1) are coming off winning the Maui Invitational, while Washington State (6-0) just won the Great Alaska Shootout behind a breakout performance from Klay Thompson, the nation’s leading scorer.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few has long been a proponent of playing a tough non-conference schedule. He watched his untested team mature in Maui with victories over Colorado, Wisconsin and No. 22 Cincinnati in the title game — vaulting them into the Top 25 this week.

“If you want to be looked upon favorably at the end of the year, you have to play a tough schedule,” Few said. “If all you do is play home games or patsies, you can’t be asking for favors at the end of the year.”

Matt Bouldin leads Gonzaga with 16 points per game, while Steven Gray is second with 15. Freshman Elias Harris is averaging 7.7 rebounds a game. The Bulldogs began the season with only five players with college basketball experience, raising questions about their ability to win big games.

“That tournament helped us and gave us confidence,” Bouldin said. “Our confidence is really high, and only going to get higher.”

Gonzaga’s success is always expected. But Washington State is also raising some eyebrows under new coach Ken Bone. The Cougars, with only a handful of veteran players, defeated Alaska-Anchorage, Nicholls State and San Diego to win the Great Alaska Shootout last week.