Gonzaga men's basketball tunes up for 2022-23 with exhibition vs. Warner Pacific

If there was anything for the Gonzaga men’s basketball team to feel positive about following a 99-80 loss to Tennessee on Friday, it was that the game didn’t count.

“Thank God,” said forward Drew Timme to the Spokesman-Review after a reporter reminded him of the contest’s preseason designation. “That’s why you do these things. That’s the first team we’ve played so far other than ourselves and it’s a good learning experience.”

Before beginning the regular season against North Florida on Monday, the second-ranked Zags play one more exhibition on Wednesday as they host Warner Pacific at 6 p.m.

A member of the Cascade Conference at the NAIA level, Warner Pacific shares a league with former Gonzaga opponents like Eastern Oregon, a team the Zags defeated by 53 points to open last year’s preseason.

It’s common for Division II, Division III or NAIA schools to play exhibitions against premier Division I programs to give players experience against top-level talent. However, while it might seem like an unfair trade, the Knights will likely provide the Zags with various looks on both sides of the ball.

The idea for the game came from a personal connection between Gonzaga’s Ben Gregg and his father Matt Gregg, the interim athletic director and women’s basketball coach at Warner Pacific. The NAIA school is located in Portland, Oregon, close to where Ben Gregg starred at Clackamas High School. 

Matt Gregg proposed the matchup to Gonzaga assistant Brian Michaelson, who took the lead on Ben Gregg’s recruitment. The plan was finalized with Gonzaga Director of Basketball Operations Jorge Sanz when one of the Zags’ preseason opponents backed out of a prior commitment, leaving an opening on the schedule.

Ben Gregg is also familiar with the Warner Pacific team from the occasional workouts he does with them in open gym settings while back home and from playing with some of the Knights in summer Pro-Am events in the Portland area.

A projected reserve on this year’s team, Ben Gregg finished with two points and two rebounds in six minutes of action during Gonzaga’s 19-point loss to Tennessee.