Zags, Northwest Nazarene set for exhibition

Gonzaga entertains Northwest Nazarene in a men’s basketball exhibition game Saturday at 5 at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Northwest Nazarene, an NCAA Division II school in Nampa, Idaho, was picked to finish seventh in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason poll. The Crusaders (12-14 overall) finished seventh last season with a 6-12 GNAC record. Senior guard Jon Hawkins, one of two returning starters, averaged 10.7 points and 3.6 assists last year and was All-GNAC honorable mention. Senior guard Keith Moilanen made 49 3-pointers and averaged 11 points last season. Seven-foot center Michal Kurimsky, who is from the Czech Republic, chipped in 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds as a freshman. Guard Kenny Jones transferred from UCLA, where he originally made the team as a walk-on and appeared in eight games last season. The Crusaders’ roster includes junior guard Connor White (Coeur d’Alene High), freshman forward Austin Damon (Lewis and Clark) and freshman guard Derek Isaak (Almira/Coulee-Hartline). Gonzaga’s season opener is Nov. 9 against Southern Utah.