How a recent NCAA court ruling could give Gonzaga unexpected backcourt help

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are in full scramble mode following the shocking news that Mario Saint-Supery – projected as the team’s starting point guard in 2026-27 – is instead heading to Valencia in Spain on a massive, multi-year deal.

The move leaves the Zags with very little depth in the backcourt and only one player with real point guard experience in 23-year-old Nathan de Sousa from France – and he is still working through eligibility with the NCAA.

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Davis Fogle, Isiah Harwell, and freshmen Luca Foster and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa are not traditional point guards, while 26-year-old Skylar Wicks is also in a battle with the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility.

While there is some talent available in the transfer portal – including Weber State’s Tijan Saine and Maryland’s Myles Rice – the Zags could benefit from a recent ruling in Ohio, where a judge granted a preliminary injunction for 15 men’s college basketball players to have an additional year of eligibility.

This ruling immediately cleared these players to play in 2026-27 and allows them to enter the transfer portal outside the designated window. Since the ruling, Utah State’s MJ Collins has transferred to Cincinnati, while Filip Borovicanin has committed to play at Xavier.

It’s possible the NCAA fights this on appeal, making these additions a risk, but there are a handful of players who – assuming they do enter the portal – could instantly boost Gonzaga’s depleted backcourt.

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Below is a look at some of those potential targets for Few and the Zags to consider with the two open spots on the roster:

Javon Bennett – Dayton Flyers

Nov 19, 2023; Charleston, SC, USA; Dayton Flyers guard Javon Bennett (0) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Of the non-committed guards recently granted eligibility, Dayton’s Javon Bennett is the most tantalizing. The 5’11 point guard from Florida spent his freshman season at Merrimack in 2022-23 and the last three years at Dayton in the A-10, increasing his scoring…

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Publish date : 2026-07-12 22:47:00

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