Idaho (0-0, 0-0) vs. Washington State (0-0, 0-0)
MOSCOW, Idaho – For the second time in three seasons, Idaho men's basketball opens the regular season across the state line and seven miles from campus when they face off against the WCC's Washington State. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+, with Voice of the Vandals Dennis Patchin on site for the Idaho Vandal Radio Network.
This matchup is one of the most storied in the country, with Monday's meeting marking the 280th Battle of the Palouse, thanks to the two sides meeting nearly every season since 1906. UI trails 110-169 in the all-time record, having lost six consecutive times to the Cougs since 2017.
The Vandals enter the 2025-26 season with high hopes. The Black and Gold claimed the fourth spot in both Big Sky Preseason Polls, their highest mark since 2017. Part of this is due to Idaho returning the most minutes in the conference, nearly 63%, and making key additions in the offseason.
Jack Payne highlights the five Idahoans on the roster, with the Boise native named a member of the Preseason All-Conference team. The Vandals' leading scorer from a year ago,
Kristian Gonzalez, returns for his junior campaign in Moscow, following a season where he averaged 11.8 points per game on 44.7% shooting.
Gem State natives
Brody Rowbury and
Jackson Rasmussen are two key additions to the roster, with both starting in October's lone public exhibition game against Boise State. Rowbury arrives in Latah Country following three seasons at Southeast Louisiana, where he gathered 82 starts and averaged 8.6 and five. Rasmussen, a freshman from Meridian, was the highest ranked commit to a Big Sky school in the Class of 2025, according the 247 Sports rankings.
Washington State enters the 2025-26 season after losing all five primary starters from last season; two of which are now playing overseas and three transferred away. They return only 28.5% of their minutes, with less than 20% of their points remaining on the roster. Second-year head coach David Riley reloaded with big names, including Boise State transfer Emmanuel Ugbo, former Morehead State guard Jerone Morton, and Spanish senior Adria Rodriguez. The Cougs were picked sixth in the WCC Coaches Poll following a 19-15 season that ended with a loss in the first round of the College Basketball Crown.
IDAHO NOTES
- Idaho features five players on the roster that hail from the Gem State for the first time since the 1971-72 season
- At 6'11" Rowbury is set to be the tallest Idaho Vandal since Jack Wilson stepped on the court in 2020 standing at 7'0".
- The Vandal women will also be starting their season in Beasley Coliseum in a pseudo-doubleheader on Nov. 3, tipping off at 11:00 AM PT.
- Kristian Gonzalez's 2024-25 average of 11.4 points per game places him fifth among returning scorers in the Big Sky.
- Idaho's February 19, 2026 game at Portland State was selected to air on ESPNU as part of the Big Sky's distribution deal with the Worldwide Leader in Sports. This will mark the first time the Vandal men have had a regular season game appear on a linear ESPN since the 2010-11 season.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
- 120: The 2025-26 season marks the 120th year of Idaho men's basketball. In the first 119 seasons, the Vandals won five conference titles, made four NCAA tournament appearances, and had five All-American players
- 100: All season long, Idaho Basketball is remembering the life and legacy of the legendary Vandal, Don Monson. Monson was a three-time basketball letterman as a student, but his biggest honor was as head basketball coach from 1978 to 1983, where he led the Vandals to a Sweet Sixteen appearance and earned 100 wins over five seasons
- 5: Five Idaho natives are on this season's roster, the most since the 1971-72 season
- 46: Idaho has made five or more threes in 46 straight contests, tied for the 10th longest streak in the nation
- 4: Idaho's preseason ranking in both Big Sky Preseason Polls, their highest since 2017
- 62.7: The Vandals return the most minutes in the Big Sky, with three out of their five most common starters staying in Moscow for the 2025-26 season
- 14: Head Coach Alex Pribble led Idaho to 14 regular season wins last year, the most since the 2017-18 season.
- 2: Two of Idaho's regular season games are set to take place in Boise this season, the first time the Vandals will play a regular contest in the state capital since the fall of 2018
- 308: The 2024-25 Vandals relied heavily on play from beyond the arc, setting a new school record for made triples at 308.
UP NEXT
Idaho opens their 2025-26 home slate on Friday, November 7, hosting DIII Whitman. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN+ and the Vandal Radio Network.
TICKETS
Tickets are available for Idaho's Holiday Hoops Classic on November 26 and 28. Watch the Vandals and Idaho State take on CSUN and Sam Houston State in downtown Boise. Tickets can be purchased through the Idaho Central Arena box office today!
Season tickets are on sale now! For more information, call the Vandal ticket office at (208) 885-6466 or visit
govandals.com/tickets.
Idaho Athletics has announced that student tickets for all home football, basketball, volleyball, and soccer home games are completely free of charge. To claim yours, visit
govandals.com/tickets.
FOLLOW THE VANDALS
To stay up to date with Vandal Hoops, follow the team on Instagram (vandalhoops), X (VandalHoops), and by visiting govandals.com.
