We are now less than two months away from the start of the 2022-23 college basketball season, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs reportedly have another addition to the non-conference schedule.
According to independent college basketball reporter Rocco Miller, the Zags are adding Chicago State to their non-conference slate.
While it has not been confirmed, as of this writing, a report from Theo Lawson of the Spokesman-Review indicated this game may take place on March 1 between the end of the WCC regular season and the start of the WCC Tournament – while also serving as Gonzaga’s senior night.
Chicago State previously competed in the WAC alongside New Mexico State, SeattleU, Abilene Christian, Cal Baptist, and others, but they are now the only independent college basketball school at the D1 level.
The Cougars have been one of the worst performing college basketball programs of the past decade, and budget concerns have kept them teetering on the edge of losing their programs altogether, or at least moving down from the D-1 level.
Instead they’ll stick it out this year as an independent after going 7-25 last year and finishing 340th in KenPom.
While many Gonzaga fans will shake their head at a team like this getting added to the slate, it’s worth pointing out that the Zags not only have a ridiculously loaded non-conference schedule at the top – including Baylor, Kentucky, Texas, Alabama, Michigan State, and the PK85 – but mid-tier games against programs like UW, Kent State, and Northern Illinois are better than many of the opponents we have seen Mark Few schedule in the past.
So a gimme game against Chicago State – a team that needs to find a way to fill out an entire schedule this season – seems totally reasonable as a tune-up before the WCC Tournament, assuming that’s when the game ends up taking place.
Host – Locked on Zags Podcast
Writer – Ducks Wire