Arizona Wildcats to face Gonzaga in Los Angeles
Apr 27, 2016, 1:36 PM | Updated: 1:42 pm
Arizona head coach Sean Miller directs his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Boise State at the Wooden Legacy tournament, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Arizona Wildcats will continue one of the better West Coast rivalries this upcoming basketball season when they battle Gonzaga on December 3 in Los Angeles.
The game will be part of the first-ever “HoopHall LA,” which is a two-game event presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame that will also see BYU and USC face off at the STAPLES Center.
Arizona and Gonzaga have played in each of the last two seasons — with the Wildcats winning on the road in 2015 and at home in 2014. They also matched up in the round of 32 in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, with the Wildcats winning that game, too. The last time Gonzaga beat Arizona was in 2011, when the game was played in Seattle.
Last season, the Wildcats went 25-9 (12-6 in the Pac-12) and were bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Wichita State. Gonzaga went 28-8 (15-3 in the West Coast Conference) and fell to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
“We are very excited to be part of this year’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame event,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said. “It’s an honor for our program to be involved with such a prestigious organization and to have the chance to play an excellent opponent in Gonzaga. To be able to continue our history with such a tremendous program in a marquee Southern California setting will be a great experience for our program, fans and alumni.”
Added Gonzaga coach Mark Few: “We are excited to play in this event and continue our series against a great program like Arizona. It’s a tremendous opportunity for our team, and we are looking forward to playing in STAPLES Center.”
Tip-off time and broadcast information for the game will be released at a later date.
