Gonzaga to open Maui Invitational against Purdue

The two teams face off in a Thanksgiving tournament for the second year in a row

Gonzaga's path in the Maui Invitational tournament will start against Purdue on Nov. 20, according to Monday's report from Jon Rothstein. 

The first-round clash is a rematch from last year's Phil Knight Legacy tournament in Portland, where the Boilermakers defeated Gonzaga 84-66 in the semifinals. 

The previous meeting saw former Gonzaga men's basketball star Drew Timme battle against Purdue's Zach Edey, who was voted National Player of the Year in 2022-23. Timme tallied 22 points and nine rebounds, while Edey recorded 23 points and seven rebounds.

Timme has left the Zags in pursuit of an NBA career, leaving the team's other players to match the production of Edey, who returned to Purdue for his senior season. 

Gonzaga addressed Timme's departure by acquiring former Wyoming center Graham Ike through the transfer portal. Before missing last season with a lower right leg injury, Ike earned First Team All-Mountain West honors in 2021-22. He averaged 19.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game that year, placing second in the conference in both statistical categories.

With the regular-season set to commence in early November, ESPN's latest Way-Too-Early top 25 ranked Purdue third and Gonzaga eighth nationally. 

If the Zags advance past the first round, they face either Tennessee or Syracuse on Nov. 21. The other teams in the bracket are Kansas, UCLA, Marquette and Chaminade.