Gonzaga Bulldogs 2023-24 preseason schedule features Kentucky, USC, UConn

November can't come soon enough

There really isn't an offseason in college basketball. Recruiting periods, evaluation periods, tournaments, camps and the everlasting transfer portal keep coaches on their toes until the season tips off in November.

Amid the frantic player movement and recruiting, programs are rounding out their nonconference schedules for the 2023-24 regular season, including the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Thus far the slate is shaping up to be as loaded as last year's and the final touches haven't even been made yet.

From a date with Bronny James in Las Vegas to a rematch against the defending national champions in Seattle, here's what we know about Gonzaga's 2023-24 season:

Kentucky (True road game, date TBD)

The Zags travel to Lexington, Kentucky for the second of a six-game series against a loaded Wildcats squad that features three of the top six recruits in the 2023 class according to 247Sports.

Gonzaga won the first matchup in the series, 88-72, last November in the Spokane Arena. It'll be the first time the two programs square off in Rupp Arena.

Yale (Home, date TBD)

For the first time in over 30 years, an Ivy League school is coming to Spokane. While a date has yet to be determined, it'll be the second all-time matchup between Gonzaga and Yale, with the former winning the first meeting back in the Kennel in 1991.

Yale is coming off a 21-win season, an Ivy League regular season title and a bow out in the first round of the NIT Tournament. The Bulldogs are the favorite to repeat as conference champions in 2023-24 according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi.

UConn (Seattle, date TBD)

A rematch of last season's Elite Eight bout kicks off a multiyear series between Gonzaga and UConn, as the two heavyweights square off in Climate Pledge Arena in the 2023-24 season. The teams will meet once again at New York's Madison Square Garden in 2024-25.

A lot has changed for both programs over the last four months — UConn lost four key players to the 2023 NBA Draft, yet brought in the country's fourth-ranked recruiting class, while the Zags are of course in the post-Drew Timme era.

Maui Invitational (Nov. 20-22)

The 2023 Maui Invitational is loaded — six of the eight participants were ranked in the final 2022-23 AP Top 25 poll, five of which were inside the top 10. No tournament bracket has been announced yet, but from the looks of it, Gonzaga is going to have its hands full for all three days.

The eight-team field features Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA and Chaminade.

USC (Las Vegas, Dec. 2)

A matchup against Bronny James and the USC Trojans in Las Vegas, a city Gonzaga and its fans know all too well. Whether it's at MGM Grand Garden or Mandalay Bay, the hype around this probable top-25 matchup is real.

Along with James, USC snagged a five-star point guard and 2023's No. 2-ranked recruit in Isiah Collier. Collier and James headline the Trojans recruiting class that ranks third in the nation behind Kentucky and Duke.

Washington (True road game, Dec. 9)

Unfortunately, COVID-19 implications spoiled the scheduled meeting in 2021 between the in-state rivals, but the Zags and Huskies should be able to conclude the four-year series when they square off this fall in Seattle.

Washington leads the all-time head-to-head series, but Gonzaga has dominated the 100-year-old rivalry as of late, winning the last seven and 13 of the last 14. The Zags took down Washington, 77-60, last December in the Kennel.

Mississippi Valley State (Home, Dec. 11)

The Zags get a tune-up game upon returning home from Seattle when the Delta Devils visit Spokane in early December. Gonzaga won the first two meetings, with the last coming in 2016.

MVSU finished last season 5-27 overall and 4-14 in SWAC play.