There's only one chance annually to write this: It's the first game day of the season for Gonzaga.

Here's my GU-Pitt preview and one in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Zags tapped into the international recruiting well again, landing Denmark's Jacob Larsen.

No official update on Domantas Sabonis, who took a nasty spill on his lower back against Eastern Oregon. Sabonis did practice Thursday and hopes to play. My guess, based in large part on Sabonis' toughness and intensity, is he plays and the Zags monitor him closely to see how long he's on the court.

His fall was a bit reminiscent of Sam Dower's spill against Kansas State in Wichita. Dower was in serious pain and needed help limping to the locker room. That happened on Dec. 21, 2013. He missed two games and roughly two weeks before returning. Sabonis' fall wasn't quite as severe as Dower's -- Sam was going up for a dunk -- and it appears his recovery and return won't take as long.