Duke’s late-season meeting with Gonzaga just got a lot less intimidating.
The Blue Devils are set to play the Bulldogs on Feb. 20 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, and that game sits at the back end of a brutal non-conference slate that already includes three of last season’s four Final Four teams, including both squads from the National Championship. Gonzaga was never the headliner in that stretch, but it was still a marquee name on the schedule.
Now the matchup comes with a different feel after Gonzaga lost guard Mario Saint-Supery to Spain’s Valencia in the EuroLeague. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported that Saint-Supery will make significantly more money playing professionally next season than he would have at Gonzaga.
That’s a major blow for Mark Few’s team. Saint-Supery, a 6-foot-3 guard, was one of Gonzaga’s top returning scorers and looked poised to be a central piece in 2026-27, the Bulldogs’ first season in the new PAC-12. Instead, his departure leaves a serious opening in the backcourt and knocks one of the bigger sophomore breakout candidates in the country off the board.
As a freshman, Saint-Supery averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 41.0% from the field and 40.3% from three on 3.4 attempts. He played in 35 games, started 17, and earned a spot on the West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team.
His exit is the second international loss Gonzaga has taken this offseason. German prospect Jack Kayil originally committed to the program, but instead chose to stay in the 2026 NBA Draft and was picked 39th overall by the New York Knicks.
There is still plenty for Gonzaga to like up front. Braden Huff is back, and Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop arrives as one of the stronger portal additions in the country. But the guard situation looks far shakier now, with returner Davis Fogle left as a key holdover after Saint-Supery’s departure.
By the time Duke and Gonzaga finally tip off, the Blue Devils will have a much clearer read on what the Bulldogs really are. Few’s team could be sitting comfortably inside the top 15 to 20 nationally, or it could be a disappointment. Either way, Duke’s own backcourt depth - with John Blackwell, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer and five-star freshman Deron Rippey Jr. - gives the Blue Devils a strong chance to enter the game as the favorite.
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