No. 13 Gonzaga Bulldogs: Projected Rotation & Season Outlook
Gonzaga enters a new era this coming season as it will headline the new-look Pac-12 conference for basketball. It will be a bit of an adjustment for coach Mark Few, who will be entering his 28th season as the head coach of the Bulldogs. For years they ran the WCC alongside arch rival Saint Mary's. Now they will have an interesting crop of programs on the rise to hold off, such as San Diego State, Utah State and Colorado State.
Replacing a player like Graham Ike (19.9. PPG, 8.0 RPG) will be hard to do, but the talent is there again on the interior. Perhaps the biggest recruiting job was getting Braden Huff to return for his senior season. The 6-10 forward was on a roll last year, averaging 17.8 PPG before suffering a season-ending kneecap injury. Huff will be the clear focal point of the Gonzaga offensive attack.
Alongside him in the frontcourt will be Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop, who was one of the top interior defenders in the Big 12 last year as a freshman. Few has been one of the best at developing big man, and it will be exciting to see where he can take Diop's game to.
Mario Saint-Supery was expected to be the starting point guard this season for the Zags, but unfortunately he ended up signing a four-year contract with EuroLeague club Valencia in his native Spain. Coach Few was able to do some great work late in the cycle and bring in Javon Bennett from Dayton and Xaivian Lee from Florida to fill the void in the backcourt. Both players bring a wealth of experience and are capable of running the offense, as well as getting a bucket from anywhere on the floor whenever the team needs it. They also signed a pair of French guards who could work their way into the rotation as well in 23-year-old Nathan De Sousa and 18-year-old Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa.
The true upside of Mark Few's squad next season could be dependent on a few incoming wings. First is Houston transfer Isiah Harwell who was a 5-star recruit in the 2025 cycle. He went to Houston but never could find his footing in Kelvin Sampson's defensive system. Mark Few's offensive mind could unlock the potential that everyone saw in high school from Harwell.
Luca Foster is the other who will be going into his freshman campaign as a 4-star recruit. He is a multi-dimensional scorer who can provide a spark right away for the Zags. Last, but certainly not least, is Florida State transfer Chauncey Wiggins. He played in a high-pace and space system and creates a big matchup problem at 6-10 given his ability to fill it up from the outside.
All the pieces are here for coach Few to do some damage deep into March. This ranking very well might be too conservative given the overall upside.
Following another active transfer portal period, RotoWire's college basketball depth charts are updated with the latest in roster movement.
2026-27 Gonzaga Basketball Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Javon Bennett (15.8 PPG, 2.4 3PM at Dayton)
SG: Xaivian Lee (11.6 PPG, 4.1 APG at Florida)
SF: Chauncey Wiggins (13.3 PPG, 2.3 3PM at Florida State)
PF: Braden Huff (17.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG)
C: Massamba Diop (13.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.1 BPG at Arizona State)
Key Reserves: Davis Fogle (8.6 PPG), Isiah Harwell (3.6 PPG at Houston), Luca Foster (No. 57 in SC Next 100), Nathan De Sousa (International Freshman), Sam Funches (4-Star Freshman), Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa (International Freshman), Parker Jefferson (Redshirt)
In search of a new, legal sportsbook? Get in on the action with our best sportsbook promo codes, as well as these selections for the best sports betting sites and sports betting apps.
