Gonzaga’s Non-Conference Schedule in the 2021–2022 College Basketball Season Is Once Again LOADED

On today’s episode of the Barstool Bench Mob, the college basketball offseason continues. There is still some movement in the transfer portal, while the schedule for teams all around the country makes progress in getting finalized.

One of the most fascinating teams to watch when its comes to a non-conference schedule? The Gonzaga Bulldogs. The reigning National Runner Ups scheduled a very strong slate last season, but unfortunately for Mark Few and company, it did not matter. Gonzaga was undefeated all the way up until the National Championship against Baylor, and we all know what happened there.

But the non-conference schedule really wasn’t to blame there. Coach Few had a game scheduled in Indianapolis back in December, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19. However, teams that Gonzaga took care of throughout the non-conference slate included Kansas, Auburn, Virginia, and West Virginia. While they may not play in the most powerful conference in the country, the Zags certainly went out of their way in order to ensure they had the best resume possible. 

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As for this season, there will once again be PLENTY of opportunities for Gonzaga to make a statement before March. We already knew about a big time clash with Duke in Las Vegas set for Black Friday. And this week? Games against both Texas and Alabama were locked in. That is the core of what is shaping up to be a gauntlet of a schedule for Gonzaga. Will it matter this time around? They’ll let you know if they cut down the nets in 2022.

Also, Rico Bosco made a good point on today’s show. If Gonzaga can find a way to space out these huge games througout the duration of the season, that might be a huge benefit to them. Instead of loading up early and then playing Pacific, Pepperdine, and Loyola Marymount for the two months leading up to March Madness, a big time team sprinkled in on MLK or President’s Weekend certainly couldn’t hurt. Obviously, there are a lot of logistics that come into this, but that’s one way to make sure Gonzaga is ready to roll when it comes to facing elite competition by the time The Big Dance rolls around.