No. 14 Gonzaga's matchup with No. 22 UCLA is the headliner on the week's light AP Top 25 schedule
No. 14 Gonzaga meets No. 22 UCLA in the lone matchup of AP Top 25 teams for the Christmas holiday week
Gonzaga coach Mark Few hadn't been off the court long over the weekend when the focus turned to preparing for the 14th-ranked Bulldogs' matchup with a ranked opponent days after Christmas.
The good news was he could start thinking about it after a win, unlike UCLA's Mick Cronin — whose No. 22 Bruins face Gonzaga on Saturday in a home-state venue in the only ranked-vs-ranked game of the week on the AP Top 25 schedule.
“It's a good series for us,” Few said after Saturday's win against Bucknell. “It's certainly what TV wants to see, fans want to see. And this year it’s another one of those high-level games that’ll help (NCAA Tournament) seeding and all that. It doesn’t hurt you in any way, shape or form.”
The programs agreed in July to a two-year series, the first meeting coming at the new Intuit Dome home of the Los Angeles Clippers. Next year's game will come in Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena.
