Gonzaga remains among nation’s best despite eligibility uncertainty

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have had a true roller coaster of an offseason, consisting of multiple surprise departures and eligibility issues that have dragged on into mid-September, with Kraziness in the Kennel now less than three weeks away.

Even with all the uncertainty and frustration, the Zags have built a roster that – regardless of who is eligible on opening night – is among the best in the entire country.

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Evan Miyakawa’s popular college basketball analytics site, EvanMiya.com, recently released its preseason rankings for the 2026-27 season, and Gonzaga came in at No. 5 overall, only behind Florida, Duke, Illinois, and Arizona.

That top five ranking for Gonzaga includes the team’s trio of fifth year seniors – guards Xaivian Lee and Javon Bennett and forward Chauncey Wiggins – but Evan also provided adjusted rankings for each team if the players in eligibility limbo don’t suit up, and Gonzaga was still in the top ten at No. 9.

Gonzaga’s frontcourt remains a strength

Feb 21, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga’s backcourt is heavily dependent on Lee, Bennett, and 23-year-old French guard Nathan de Sousa getting eligible, but the Zags will have a dominant starting frontcourt no matter what.

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Braden Huff returns as a top 25 player in the country, per EvanMiya, after averaging 17.8 points on absurd 66.2% shooting in 18 games last year before going out with a season-ending knee injury.

Few reported that Huff is moving around great this summer, and he should be in the mix for All-American status in 2026-27. It helps that his teammate in the frontcourt, Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop, is arguably a perfect fit thanks to his rim protection, finishing skills, and developing midrange and three point shot.

Diop is the best rim protector Gonzaga has rostered since Chet Holmgren left in 2022, and he’ll take pressure off Huff defensively while setting bone crushing screens and…

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Publish date : 2026-09-16 16:58:00

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