Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images Drew Timme and Gonzaga look to cut down the nets this year for the first time in program history.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs begin their quest for their first NCAA title when they take on the Georgia State Panthers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
The game (4:15 p.m. ET) will be televised on TNT. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of Gonzaga vs Georgia State online:
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DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” TNT, TBS, TruTV and CBS are all included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch Gonzaga vs Georgia State live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
You can also watch the game live on the March Madness app or on the NCAA website. You’ll need to sign in to a cable or streaming service provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your DirecTV Stream credentials.
Sling TV
TNT, TBS and TruTV are all included in Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle, which comes with a free three-day trial:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Gonzaga vs Georgia State live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch the game live on the March Madness app or on the NCAA website. You’ll need to sign in to a cable or streaming service provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your Sling credentials.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of TNT, TBS, TruTV, CBS and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes both ESPN+ and Disney+ as part of their bundle:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Gonzaga vs Georgia State live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch the game live on the March Madness app or on the NCAA website. You’ll need to sign in to a cable or streaming service provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your Hulu credentials.
Gonzaga vs Georgia State Preview
The top overall-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs begin their road to the Final Four with a matchup with the 16th-seeded Georgia State Panthers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament’s West region on Thursday afternoon.
Gonzaga was awarded a No. 1 seed for the fourth time in the last five NCAA Tournaments after winning 26 games and breezing through the West Coast Conference tournament. They have multiple players who returned from a squad that finished national runner-up last season.
Georgia State is making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2019. The Panthers are riding a 10-game win streak, including a run of three straight in the Sun Belt tournament to punch their ticket to the Big Dance.
Here’s a look at the breakdown for each team as they head into Thursday’s first-round matchup in Portland, Oregon:
No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-3, 13-1 WCC)
Gonzaga is looking to finally get over the top and cut down the nets this season. The Bulldogs have reached the national championship game twice since 2017, including last season, but have come up just short in each effort.
This year’s Gonzaga team is formidable down low with two Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year semifinalists – junior forward Drew Timme and freshman sensation Chet Holmgren.
Timme was a key piece to the Bulldogs’ run to the title game last season and he picked up where he left off this season, averaging 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game en route to being named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. The junior forward is 18th in the country with a 58.8 percent field goal shooting rate.
Holmgren, the top-rated recruit, is in the midst of a monster first campaign that netted him the WCC’s Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year honors. The freshman center is averaging 14.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and can shoot it from long-range, averaging 41.2 percent from three. The 7-footer is a menace down low, coming into the NCAA Tournament with 104 total blocks, which ranks fourth in the nation.
Gonzaga is a well-balanced group, ranking in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom. The Bulldogs are the highest-scoring team in the country, averaging 87.8 points per game.
Gonzaga won their 20th WCC Tournament title and eighth in the last nine years with an 82-69 win over Saint Mary’s in the final on March 8th. The Bulldogs shot 58% from the field and went 8-for-16 from three-point range against one of the nation’s top defensive teams.
“Their offense is as good as any in the country,” Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett said following the WCC championship game. “There’s a lot of things you have to do right to have a chance and we did that for a while, but you have to do it for 40 minutes.”
No. 16 Georgia State Panthers (18-10, 9-5 Sun Belt)
Georgia State began the season 8-10 and then ran off 10 straight wins to reach their fourth NCAA Tournament since 2015.
The Panthers, who start five seniors, possess a stingy defense, ranking 19th in the country in turnover rate and 27th in defending two-point shots. They average 70.6 points per game and allow only 64.8.
Leading the way for Georgia State is senior guard Corey Allen, who is averaging 14.7 points per game. He was named the Sun Belt Tournament MVP after he tallied 29 points in each of the semifinal and championship game wins. In the final, Allen hit on 5-of-6 from long distance and went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.
The Panthers have two more double-digit scorers in senior guards Kane Williams (12.5 ppg) and Justin Roberts (11.2 ppg). Senior forward Eliel Nsoseme anchors the frontcourt, averaging 9.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Georgia State captured the automatic berth from the Sun Belt after wins in the conference tournament over sixth-seeded Arkansas State, second-seeded Appalachian State, and eighth-seeded Louisiana.