The ripple effects of Mario Saint-Supery’s shocking departure from Gonzaga

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are scrambling to fill a major hole on the roster following the surprise departure of sophomore point guard Mario Saint-Supery, who signed a multi-year deal to return to Spain and play for Valencia.

The news shocked Gonzaga and sent Mark Few and his staff into overdrive, trying to find a suitable replacement for a player they expected to start and play big minutes after a very promising freshman campaign in 2025-26.

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While the Zags are working hard to find that player, or players, it’s clear Saint-Supery’s departure will have a significant ripple effect on this new, young roster in Spokane as the team transitions into the Pac-12 conference.

Below is a look at multiple ways each player on Gonzaga’s roster will feel Saint-Supery’s absence in 2026-27:

Loss of familiarity

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few and guard Mario Saint-Supery (17). | Photo by Erik Smith

Saint-Supery was one of five returners on Gonzaga’s roster from last season, giving the team crucial continuity with 11 departures and multiple newcomers set to replace them.

Returners Braden Huff, Davis Fogle, and Parker Jefferson will have to adjust to a new point guard whom they haven’t had the opportunity to play alongside during games and every single day in practice.

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Additionally, transfers Massamba Diop and Isiah Harwell, as well as incoming freshmen Luca Foster and Sam Funches, have been practicing with Saint-Supery for a few weeks now, and that budding familiarity is no longer relevant for this upcoming campaign.

Heck, even 6’10 big man Izan Almansa got a chance to play with Saint-Supery in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in early July, the only Zag Almansa has been able to work out with while he remains unable to participate with the program as his eligibility gets sorted out.

The desire to have this team firing on all cylinders by early November, when they take on Purdue in Las Vegas, is why the staff is expected to work very quickly to replace Saint-Supery on the roster…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ripple-effects-mario-saint-superys-203600875.html

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Publish date : 2026-07-13 20:36:00

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