WSU men, Gonzaga women to play in Phoenix in December

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Basketball teams from both Gonzaga and Washington State will be competing at the Footprint Center in Phoenix this December, with the WSU men playing in the fifth annual Jerry Colangelo Classic and Gonzaga women playing in the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series, according to a release by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

The Cougars face off against Santa Clara on Dec. 16, and the Bulldogs will play Arizona on Dec. 20.

"We’re looking forward to facing Santa Clara this December, as part of the Jerry Colangelo Classic,” WSU Head Coach Kyle Smith said in the release. “Santa Clara is an emerging program on the west coast. They are a consistent post-season program coached by Herb Sendek. They have produced NBA talent the last couple of years in Jaylin Williams and Brandin Podziemski. This will be an excellent non-conference opportunity for both programs.”

WSU’s game against Santa Clara will be the 10th time the two programs have met on the court, where the Cougars hold a 6-3 advantage. Gonzaga has never faced Arizona in the program’s history.