Game against Gonzaga will be a historic one for BYU basketball

Whether BYU basketball pulls off the greatest win in program history on Thursday or not, the matchup against Gonzaga is a historic one.

BYU basketball may not beat the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Feb. 2, but history will be made regardless of the outcome.

The Cougars have never hosted the nation’s No. 1 team before, so Thursday’s game with the Bulldogs will be a first.

BYU is 16-7 on the season and 7-3 in West Coast Conference play. Gonzaga enters the game 22-0 and 10-0 in WCC play.

The Cougars have struggled mightily away from the Marriott Center (4-6), but are a great team at home (12-1). Still, just being at home won’t be enough, the Cougars will have to bring their A-game.

This is the fifth time in history that BYU basketball has played the No. 1 team in the nation. The Cougars are 0-4 in those games, with the latest matchup coming in 2007 against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

While the Bulldogs will be a tough opponent, there are some things lining up in BYU’s favor. The Zags haven’t played in a real road test this season and the Marriott Center will be electric on Thursday – students are already camping out to get seats.

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BYU basketball is 13-30 against ranked opponents under head coach Dave Rose. But, two of those 13 wins have come against Gonzaga. The Zags lead the head-to-head series 10-4 over BYU since the Cougars joined the West Coast Conference, and the teams split games last season.

The Cougars and Bulldogs tip off at 9 p.m. MST on Thursday, Feb. 2. The game can be viewed on ESPN 2.