Mark Few has never been afraid to test his Gonzaga Bulldogs early in the season. And that’s no different, even with a roster that only has four returning players from last year’s rotation.
Game two of the 2025-26 season has Gonzaga heading to the Spokane Arena on Saturday, Nov. 8, to face Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners. It’s the first of three matchups Gonzaga has with SEC teams in the noncon — which could potentially be four if the Zags draw Tennessee or Auburn in the third game of the Player’s Era Festival.
Oklahoma made the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Moser this past season, earning a No. 9 seed after going 13-0 to begin the season — including wins in the Maui Invitational over Providence, Arizona, and Louisville. They only went 6-12 in SEC play, making them a controversial choice, but ultimately played No. 8 UConn in a tight game before losing 67-59.
The Sooners have a new look entering 2025-26, though, with only one returner among the team’s projected five starters. Instead, coach Moser went out and got experienced guards and plenty of outside shooting, which could symie Gonzaga’s new look group so early in the season.
However, Oklahoma’s depth in the frontcourt is limited, and Graham Ike and Braden Huff will present matchup challenges for the Sooners as well.
Here’s a more detailed look at Oklahoma’s roster and the upcoming matchup.
C: Mo Wague
PF: Tae Davis
SF: Derrion Reid
SG: Xzayvier Brown
PG: Nijel Pack
The only returner in Oklahoma’s projected starting five, Mo Wague started just four games last year and played 11.5 minutes per night. He averaged nearly four points and 3.1 rebounds. He’s a highly efficient scorer around the rim but doesn’t do much to protect it on the other end, which works in favor of Gonzaga.
Tae Davis is a Notre Dame transfer who averaged 15.1 points and 5.3 boards last year for the Irish. He is great at drawing contact and getting the line, averaging 6.0 free throw attempts per game. If that skill carries over to Oklahoma, it could spell trouble for Gonzaga’s foul-prone bigs.
Derrion Reid stays in the SEC, coming over from Alabama after an underwhelming — but intriguing — freshman year with the Crimson Tide. The 6’8 forward averaged 6.0 points in just 14 minutes per game before an injury took him out toward the end of conference play. He returned at the very end of the year and even dropped nine points in ten minutes against Robert Morris in the NCAA Tournament, and is a strong ‘sophomore breakout’ candidate for coach Moser.
Mar 21, 2025; Cleveland, OH, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Derrion Reid (35). / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The biggest prize in what was an excellent transfer portal class for Porter Moser is Saint Joe’s guard Xzayvier Brown. Brown was an absolute bucket last year for the Hawks, averaging 17.6 points per game while shooting 35$ from three and a league-leading 89.7% from the free throw line. Brown also averaged 5.2 boards, 4.3 assists, and 1.5 steals, and has a chance to be one of the best guards in all of college basketball this season. At 6’2, he won’t represent a mismatch physically, but whoever is tasked with defending him will have their hands full.
Oklahoma’s final starter is one of the most veteran players in the sport, former Kansas State and Miami point guard Nijel Pack. Pack spent three years with the ‘Canes, averaging 13.6 points and shooting 38.5% from three on nearly six attempts per game. The 6’0 guard is a big-time shooter and scorer, and his experience will help this new-look group come together before SEC play begins.
Dayton Forsythe stayed in Norman after an effective freshman year for the Sooners, where he averaged 4.3 points and shot 44.7% from three in just 12.1 minutes per game. The 6’2 guard should see a role increase, and is another long-range threat for Gonzaga to deal with.
Oklahoma had a few guys redshirt last year who are expected to jump into the rotation, including 6’5 guard Jadon Jones and 6’6 guard Jeff Nwanko.
Nwanko was conference Player of the Year in 2023-24 while at Cowley College (JuCO), but Jones is the big piece. Jones starred at Long Beach State in 2023-24, averaging over 12 points and shooting 37.7% from three for the 49ers. He spent last year on the bench and is ready to bring his high-scoring and hot-shooting ways to Norman, giving Moser more valuable shooting and spacing off the bench.
7’0 freshman Andreas Holst from Denmark gives them some size and depth in the frontcourt as well.
Gonzaga will get tested early by this Oklahoma team, who have continually played extremely well in the non-conference slate. Braeden Smith and Mario Saint-Supery dealing with Nijel Pack and Xzayvier Brown will better prepare them for the other tough teams in the non-con, and potentially in the NCAA Tournament as well.
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