Gonzaga, Duke in same bracket at Phil Knight tournament next season

Gonzaga has known for quite a while it will be participating in a 2022 Thanksgiving holiday tournament in Portland honoring Nike co-founder Phil Knight.

The Zags on Tuesday learned the seven teams – Duke, Florida, Oregon State, Portland State, Purdue, West Virginia and Xavier – they will be joining in the Phil Knight Legacy bracket.

The event features another eight-team men’s tournament – Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Portland, Alabama, Connecticut and Villanova are in the Phil Knight Invitational bracket – and two four-team women’s brackets.

Games will be played Nov. 24, 25 and 27. Tournament venues will be the Moda Center, Memorial Coliseum and the University of Portland’s Chiles Center.

Pairings haven’t been announced, but there are several intriguing potential matchups for Gonzaga, which will probably face Portland State or Oregon State in its opener. GU and Duke staged an instant classic in November, with the Blue Devils winning 84-81 in Las Vegas. The Zags knocked off then-No. 1 Duke 89-87 to win the 2018 Maui Invitational.

Florida edged Gonzaga 111-105 in double overtime at the 2017 PK80 Invitational celebrating Knight’s 80th birthday. Gonzaga’s Johnathan Williams scored a career-high 39 points.

The Zags defeated West Virginia 61-58 on Jordan Mathews’ clutch 3-pointer in the 2017 Elite Eight. Two days later, Gonzaga thumped Xavier 83-59 to reach its first Final Four. Gonzaga edged the Mountaineers 87-82 in Indianapolis in one of the Zags’ closest contests in their unbeaten 2021 regular season.

The eight Legacy bracket teams have combined for 199 NCAA Tournament appearances, 29 Final Fours and seven NCAA titles. Gonzaga has played in the past 22 NCAA Tournaments, 23 overall and two Final Fours. The Zags earned an automatic berth in 2020, but the tournament was canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Duke has played in 43 NCAA Tournaments, 16 Final Fours and captured five national championships.

As expected, Gonzaga and Alabama are in different brackets, with the teams scheduled to meet next season in Birmingham.

Tournament pairings, schedules and ticket information will be announced at a later date. Visit rosequarter.com/hoops for more information.

Gonzaga finished 2-1, routing Ohio State 86-59, losing a thriller to Florida and edging Texas 76-71 in overtime, at the PK80 in 2017. Williams scored 21 points against the Buckeyes and Rui Hachimura finished with 20 points against the Longhorns. Michigan State and Duke, which beat Florida 87-84, won PK80 titles.

The women’s Invitational bracket includes Oregon, Iowa State, North Carolina and Michigan State. Duke, Iowa, Connecticut and Oregon State are in the Legacy bracket.

Men’s teams will play three games apiece. Women’s teams will play two.