Congratulations, fans, you have officially made it to the start of a new college basketball season. Purdue tips off its season on Monday night in Las Vegas, battling No. 15 Gonzaga in the Hall of Fame Series to begin the new year.

Both Purdue and Gonzaga are undergoing some major changes from last year's team. The Boilermakers returned 10 of their 11 eligible players from last season, but added some key pieces through recruiting, the transfer portal, and overseas.

Gonzaga also added some international talent, but relied more heavily on the transfer portal. It's hard to know what to expect from these two teams.

Here's everything you need to know for Monday's premier showdown between the Boilers and Bulldogs.

How to follow along

• What: Purdue (0-0) vs. #15 Gonzaga (0-0)
• When: Monday, Nov. 2, 2026
• Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada (16,000)
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT | TruTV | HBO Max
• Stream: HBOMax.com
• TV announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Grant Hill (analyst), Allie LaForce (reporter)
• Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network | 96.5 FM WAZY (Lafayette), 100.9 FM WKJG (Fort Wayne), 1260 AM WNDE (Indianapolis), 99.5 FM WFNB (Terre Haute), 1450 AM WXVW (Louisville) | SiriusXM Channel 989
• Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst)
• Live stats: StatBroadcast
• Live game blog: Purdue Boilermakers On SI
• Series: Purdue leads the all-time series vs. Gonzaga 5-0

Scouting Gonzaga

Mark Few, head coach

• 28th season at Gonzaga
• 773-156 overall record (.832)
• 23 WCC regular-season championships
• 21 WCC Tournament titles
• 26 NCAA Tournament appearances
• 2 Final Four appearances (2017, 2021)
• 13 trips to the Sweet 16
• 14x WCC Coach of the Year
• 2x National Coach of the Year
• Assistant coach at Gonzaga (1989-1999)

Key players

• Braden Huff, F — Huff is Gonzaga's top returning scorer from last season. He averaged 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 campaign. The 6-foot-10 forward already flashed this year, scoring 19 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in an exhibition game against Arkansas. The fifth-year forward was a third-team preseason All-American selection by CBS Sports.

• Davis Fogle, G — The fourth-leading scorer for the Zags last season, Fogle averaged 8.6 points per game. His 6-foot-7 frame makes him a tough matchup for opposing guards. As a freshman, he shot 51% from the floor and 35% from behind the three-point line. Fogle was named to the WCC All-Freshman Team in 2026.

• Xaivian Lee, G — Transferred to Gonzaga after spending the 2025-26 season at Florida. In his lone season with the Gators, Lee started all 35 games and averaged 11.6 points and 4.2 assists per game. He also played at Princeton from 2022-25 and earned first-team All-Ivy League honors in 2024 and 2025.

• Nathan De Sousa, G — De Sousa is one of multiple international players on Few's roster this season. He struggled in Gonzaga's exhibition game against Arkansas, but he's a player who will likely have the ball in his hands often. De Sousa played in France's top league before committing to play for the Bulldogs.

• Massamba Diop, C — The 7-foot-1 center transferred to Gonzaga after playing at Arizona State last season. He started all 33 games for the Sun Devils and was productive on both ends of the floor. Diop averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in his lone season at ASU.

Boilers to watch

• C.J. Cox, G — The only returning starter for the Boilermakers, Cox is coming off a sophomore campaign in which he averaged 8.5 points per game. He was Purdue's most consistent player in three preseason games, reaching double figures in each contest. Cox isn't just a great scorer, but he is also one of the team's top perimeter defenders.

• Omer Mayer, G — Mayer spent last season playing behind Braden Smith, but he's now the team's starting point guard. He scored 5.5 points per game as a freshman. He will have a much bigger role for the Boilermakers this year, especially with the ball in his hands and running the offense.

• Gicarri Harris, G — For the past two seasons, Harris has been a big contributor off the bench for Purdue. He started in all three exhibition games and appears to have secured a starting job to begin the regular season. Harris is another solid perimeter defender for the Boilermakers. Offensively, he can score in a variety of ways.

• Caden Pierce, F — Pierce is the lone transfer for the Boilers, coming to West Lafayette after spending three years at Princeton. He was the 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year as a sophomore, averaging 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He is one of Purdue's top rebounders, as well.

• Daniel Jacobsen, C — The 7-foot-4 center is now Purdue's starter at the five and will get more opportunities to flourish than he received last year behind Oscar Cluff. He averaged 5.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game off the bench. He provides the Boilers with a good scoring option in the post and rim protection on the defensive end.

2025-26 stats

What to watch

Gonzaga in transition

Few wants to maximize Gonzaga's size and athleticism this season. The best way to do that is to get out in transition and score quickly. Purdue must limit turnovers, especially live-ball turnovers. It also needs to compete on the glass and prevent the Bulldogs from running up and down the floor.

Gonzaga isn't a team that typically settles for many threes. The Zags drive to the basket and get the ball into the post to allow their bigs to go to work. Purdue is going to play quicker than it has in the past, but this may not be a game in which it wants to participate in a track meet.

How Purdue gets points

One of the problems Purdue discovered about itself in the 76-53 loss to No. 4 UConn in an exhibition game was the reliance it placed on three-point shooting. The Boilers connected at a high clip in games against Ball State and Purdue-Fort Wayne, but only made two of its 25 attempts against the Huskies.

If Purdue runs into that same issue against Gonzaga, how will it find points? It must be able to drive to the basket and get to the free-throw line. Utilizing Jacobsen in the post will be important, too. The Boilers can't keep chucking up threes if they're not falling

Defensive matchups

Gonzaga presents some matchup problems with its size. The one guy who creates the biggest mismatch is Huff, who stands 6-foot-10 and can move well. Pierce will probably get that assignment, and it will be interesting to see how the Princeton transfer holds up in that matchup. Purdue may also have to turn to Jack Benter off the bench.

Jacobsen will have his work cut out for him in the post defending Diop. How will Purdue's guards handle a backcourt with a variety of skills? This is about as tough a challenge as the Boilers could imagine in the season opener.