Michigan
Gonzaga
Desert Duel: Wolverines to Challenge No. 12 Gonzaga for Players Era Championship
11/26/2025 12:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The seventh-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team (6-0) faces No. 12 Gonzaga (7-0) for the Players Era Festival title on Wednesday (Nov. 26) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It marks just the second meeting between the programs, with the lone prior matchup coming in the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis championship game -- a Wolverine victory. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET) on TNT, with Brian Anderson, Grant Hill and Lauren Jbara on the call.Â
Notes
• Michigan meets 12th-ranked Gonzaga for the 2025 Players Era Championship after dominant wins over San Diego State (94-54) and No. 21 Auburn (102-72). The Zags reached the title game with victories over No. 8 Alabama (95-84) and Maryland (100-61).
• Michigan rolled past No. 21 Auburn, 102-72, on day two of the Players Era behind six double-figure scorers and a dominant mix of pace, paint production (56-32) and defense that held the Tigers to 36 percent shooting. Yaxel Lendeborg powered U-M for the fourth straight game with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Roddy Gayle Jr. matched him with a season-high 17 points and six boards. Morez Johnson Jr. added 15 points for his fifth double-figure outing in six games.
• Michigan opened the Players Era Festival with a dominant 94-54 win over San Diego State, powered by six double-digit scorers and a defense that tallied season highs in steals (11) and second-chance points (22) while holding the Aztecs to 27 percent shooting. Lendeborg led U-M again with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists, followed by 13 points each from Johnson Jr. and Elliot Cadeau.
• Michigan and Gonzaga meet for just the second time, with the lone previous matchup coming in the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis championship game in the Bahamas. U-M won that meeting, 82-64, securing back-to-back wins over top-10 opponents and claiming its first Atlantis title.
• In that matchup, Michigan hit 12-of-23 threes (52.2 percent), used several extended runs to pull away, and held Gonzaga to 64 points while forcing 13 turnovers. Jon Teske posted 19 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and four blocks; Isaiah Livers added 21 points and a career-best five threes; and Zavier Simpson recorded a 13-point, 13-assist double-double.
• Gonzaga enters at 7-0, with six double-digit wins already on the board. The Bulldogs are averaging 95.0 points per game with a +32.9 scoring margin, shooting 53 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from three, while holding opponents to 35.9 percent overall and just 24.9 percent from long range.
• Graham Ike anchors the frontcourt with 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds on 54 percent shooting, while Braden Huff adds 16.0 points on an efficient 67.5 percent. In the backcourt, Mario Saint-Supéry provides steady playmaking at 9.1 points and 5.0 assists, and is shooting 47 percent from three.
• The Players Era Festival is a multi-day men's and women's college basketball showcase in Las Vegas. A significant element of the event is its focus on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). Teams play a series of early-round games, and their performance in those matchups determines final seeding.
