Why Gonzaga needed a point guard like Javon Bennett

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs spent most of July and the early part of August without a single point guard on their roster – thanks to the shocking departure of sophomore Mario Saint-Supery, who returned to Spain after one year in Spokane.

The Zags rectified the situation last Thursday, however, securing a commitment from former Dayton point guard Javon Bennett out of the transfer portal. Bennett was available after an injunction was granted by a judge in Ohio, giving him and 23 other plaintiffs eligibility for a fifth season – while allowing them an opportunity to transfer where they see fit.

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The 5’11 veteran is now in line to fill a valuable role on a Gonzaga roster littered with talent elsewhere, and barring another addition, he will start at the one alongside Davis Fogle, Braden Huff, Massamba Diop, and either Chauncey Wiggins or Isiah Harwell in what projects to be one of the best starting lineups in the country.

Gonzaga is known to be on the market for another PG to round out the roster, with names like Donovan Dent (UCLA), Xaivian Lee (Florida), and Tre Holloman (NC State) getting tossed around, but Bennett will bring plenty of value to this team regardless of his role.

Below is a look at four areas Bennett immediately helps this Gonzaga roster as they join the new Pac-12 in 2026-27:

1. High-volume shooting

Nov 28, 2025; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Dayton Flyers guard Javon Bennett (0) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At first glance, Bennett’s career 33.7% mark from the three-point line is rather underwhelming. However, it is dragged down by significant struggles early in his career, including a 27.9% mark at Merrimack as a freshman and a 31.6% mark as a sophomore in his first year at Dayton.

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Bennett then found his stroke as a junior, drilling 39% of his 5.4 three-point attempts in 2024-25, and hit a respectable 34.7% this past season, on a whopping 7.0 attempts per game.

Fans will wince thinking about Adam Miller when seeing Bennett has just one season…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-gonzaga-needed-point-guard-194729917.html

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Publish date : 2026-08-10 19:47:00

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