At a glance: Week ahead

EWU Eagles

Thursday: at Boise State, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday: vs. San Diego, 2 p.m.

Outlook: Preparation for the Big Sky Conference comes to an end with a pair of tough games. Boise State (6-4) lost to Brigham Young 80-77 earlier and has had a week off to prepare. Coby Karl, a 6-foot-4 junior guard and son of NBA coach George Karl, leads three BSU players in double figures at 14.6 and is tops in rebounding (5.2) and assists (4.4). San Diego (9-3), off to its best start in seven years, will be well-rested with 10 days off between a home win over New Mexico and the New Year’s Day game in Cheney. The Toreros have won six straight.

Idaho Vandals

Friday: at Portland State, 7 p.m.

Outlook: This will be Idaho’s final non-conference test before opening WAC play at New Mexico State next Thursday. The Vandals (3-6) struggled to score points outside of Tanoris Shepard’s 24 in a 61-59 loss to PSU in Moscow on Dec. 10. The victory launched PSU (6-6) on a four-game winning steak, including a 54-52 upset of Oregon on Tuesday. PSU center Scott Morrison scored 15 points in the first meeting.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Saturday: vs. Saint Joseph’s, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)

Outlook: The eighth-ranked Bulldogs (9-3) will try to bounce back from Tuesday’s 83-72 road loss to No. 4 Memphis when they entertain the Hawks (5-3, after a 70-66 victory Wednesday night over Saint Mary’s). Saint Joseph’s has a big-time scoring threat in Chet Stachitas, a 6-5 senior wing who is averaging just more than 17 points a game and shooting 50 percent from 3-point range. The Hawks have played only two home games. GU continues to struggle on offense, especially on the perimeter, and needs to get point guard Derek Raivio back on track to help take some pressure off Adam Morrison (28 ppg).

WSU Cougars

Tonight: 7 vs. Arizona at Spokane Arena

Saturday: 3 p.m. vs. Arizona State

Outlook: The Pac-10 season tips off tonight and the Cougars haven’t looked any better in the Dick Bennett era. Whether that will translate into a win against Arizona, the preseason pick to win the Pac-10, is another issue. Things should get a little easier when WSU comes back to its true home court in Pullman to play Arizona State, which, without Ike Diogu, looks like one of the weaker teams in the conference.