Gonzaga’s Mark Few on UMass-Lowell matchup: ‘They’re probably better than who we need to be playing’

The Bulldogs host the River Hawks at The Kennel on Friday night

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Coming off back-to-back victories over Big 12 opponents, Friday’s matchup against UMass-Lowell out of the America East Conference might seem like more of a tune-up game for the Gonzaga men’s basketball team. 

The River Hawks don’t hold power conference membership like Baylor or Arizona State, but far be it from Mark Few to overlook any kind of matchup in this new landscape of college basketball. 

“We need to play good every night out,” Few said after the Bulldogs’ 88-80 win over Arizona State. “This landscape has really changed out there … you can flip your roster really quick. And even if you're at a level like UMass-Lowell, you can go out and get different guys that weren't happy somewhere else and are probably pretty darn good players.”

UMass-Lowell head coach Pat Duquette, now in year 12 at the helm, brought in four transfers to mix with four of his top five scorers from last season’s squad that went 22-10 (10-5 America East). Picked to finish second in their conference, the River Hawks have the experience to pull off the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth since moving to the Division-I level in 2014, as eight of their top nine players in the rotation are seniors. 

Quinton Mincey, a 6-foot-6 graduate student, leads the River Hawks (2-0) in scoring at 23.5 points per game. A lot of those points have come at the charity stripe — Mincey currently ranks fourth in the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (12.4) according to KenPom.com. He went 14-of-16 at the free throw line in the 81-74 win over Saint Peter’s last week.

Mincey was named the preseason America East Sixth Man of the Year. Max Brooks, a 6-foot-7 fifth-year, earned all-conference honors after putting up 12.9 points and grabbing 7.4 rebounds per game last season. Fifth-year guard Yuri Covington has put up 15.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while 6-foot-3 freshman Martin Somerville is at 11.0 points per game. 

“They're probably better than who we need to be playing at this point,” Few said of the River Hawks. “But we're playing them anyway. So we've got to gear up.”

The Zags (2-0) started the 2024-25 season with a resounding 101-63 win over then-No. 8 Baylor at the Spokane Arena, followed by an 8-point victory over the Sun Devils just six days later at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga averaged 94.5 points through the first week of the regular season and ranked No. 1 in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. Redshirt sophomore Braden Huff leads the squad at 17.5 points per game. The 6-foot-10 post had 21 points in the win over the Sun Devils, while Khalif Battle wasn't far behind with 19 second-half points.

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• What Mark Few said after Gonzaga's win over Arizona State

• Gonzaga’s Khalif Battle brings the house down with huge dunk vs. Arizona State

• Ryan Nembhard thriving as Gonzaga’s point guard: ‘He is amazing’

• Gonzaga lays claim to best home-court advantage in college basketball

• Highlights from Gonzaga's win over Arizona State
  

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Continue to follow our Gonzaga coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Instagram and Twitter.