Gonzaga vs Washington State: How the Zags Will Try to Slow Ace Glass

How to watch Gonzaga vs Washington State

• Date: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026
• Tip-off: 7:10 p.m. PT (10:10 p.m. ET)
• TV: CBS Sports Network
• Venue: Beasley Coliseum (Friel Court), Pullman

Official game details: WSU preview/game info • How to find CBS Sports Network

Odds (prematch)

Gonzaga enter as clear favorites, with markets listing them around -17.5 on the spread and a total near 156.5.

Odds source: Fox Sports odds & matchup page (lines can move before tip-off)

When Gonzaga arrive in Pullman, the storyline starts with one player: Ace Glass. The Washington State freshman has forced opponents to treat him as the first item on the scouting report — a guard who can heat up quickly, punish late closeouts, and change the feel of a game in a short window.

Glass is averaging 15.9 points per game while shooting efficiently from the field, and his early-season burst has carried into conference play. His profile is no longer a surprise; the question now is whether the Cougars can create the kind of space and matchups that let him dictate tempo against an elite opponent. (ESPN player stats)

Gonzaga’s edge is that it doesn’t need to overreact. The Zags can start with one primary look and then shift quickly, using size on the perimeter and fresh bodies to keep Glass from living comfortably in the same spots. Expect Gonzaga to test him with physical on-ball pressure, then vary help timing on ball screens — not to erase him, but to stop him from becoming the game’s rhythm-setter.

The defensive approach also fits Gonzaga’s bigger plan: stay connected on the arc while keeping the paint protected for the possessions that matter. Washington State will try to pull Gonzaga’s coverage out of shape with spacing and movement; Gonzaga will try to make every catch and every drive feel like work.

If the Cougars are going to make this uncomfortable, they’ll likely need two things at once: Glass producing efficiently and enough secondary scoring to punish the moments when Gonzaga rotates longer wings onto him. If those counters don’t arrive, the Zags can stay disciplined and let their offensive efficiency do the separating.

Washington State’s own preview frames the night as a major home test against a top-10 visitor — and for viewers, it’s also a clear measuring stick for how far the Cougars’ young lead guard has come, and how quickly Gonzaga can tighten the screws once it knows where the danger lives. (WSU Athletics game preview)

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