Gonzaga’s Xaivian Lee and Ines Bettencourt got a major legal boost Tuesday morning, moving another step toward being cleared for the 2026-27 season after a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge granted a preliminary injunction in the Glancey vs. NCAA 5-in-5 lawsuit.
Judge Beth McGowen’s ruling covered Lee, Bettencourt and more than 70 other player plaintiffs who are seeking an additional year of competition under the NCAA’s new 5-in-5 eligibility model, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. It is the biggest development yet in the case, and for now it keeps both Gonzaga players eligible this season.
The NCAA is expected to appeal, Rothstein reported, so the lawsuit still has one more checkpoint before Lee, Bettencourt and the other players involved can be fully cleared for the 2026-27 college basketball season.
For the moment, though, both Zags can suit up for preseason games. Lee and the No.
15 Gonzaga men open their exhibition schedule on the road Saturday against No. 12 Arkansas at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+, then return home to face NAIA Lewis-Clark State on Oct.
- Bettencourt and the Gonzaga women have one exhibition on the calendar, a home date with Division II Westmont College on Oct.
The ruling also adds another layer to Gonzaga’s already tangled eligibility picture. The men brought in three 5-in-5 transfers in August, plus Spanish forward Izan Almansa, who is still waiting on NCAA approval for his international waiver.
Lee is joined by fifth-year guard Javon Bennett as eligible for Saturday’s exhibition after Tuesday’s California ruling and last week’s stay from the Ohio Supreme Court temporarily cleared Bennett, who had previously been ruled ineligible after transferring from Dayton. Chauncey Wiggins, the third 5-in-5 transfer in Gonzaga’s class, remains ineligible after the Georgia Court of Appeals stayed a prior injunction.
Lee’s path to Spokane has been a busy one. The Ontario native spent three seasons at Princeton, where he averaged 17.0 points in his final two years, then transferred to Florida in 2025-26 and put up 11.6 points and 4.2 assists for a Gators team that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. If he stays eligible, he is expected to take over as Gonzaga’s starting point guard after projected starter Mario Saint-Supery left to sign with Valencia in Spain’s ACB.
Even though Lee never lived in or played for a California school, he joined the lawsuit anyway. In a court declaration, he pointed to the four games he played in San Diego and Sacramento against student-athletes “participating in their fifth seasons of competition,” according to the filing.
Lee also wrote in the declaration, “Gonzaga University has a roster spot currently available and reserved for me for that purpose, and my taking that roster spot would not result in another playing losing their spot.”
NCAA president Charlie Baker argued against the return of class of 2022 high school graduates for a fifth season in remarks on Oct. 16, saying, “allowing them to return for an unexpected fifth season of competition would give them a benefit they never reasonably could have expected, to the detriment of thousands of eligible student-athletes who have been waiting for their opportunity to compete.”
Bettencourt is also pushing for another season. The Portugal native started all 33 games for Lisa Fortier’s team last season, averaging 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals after spending two years at UConn before arriving at Gonzaga in 2024-25.
Tuesday’s injunction could also matter beyond Gonzaga. LSU point guard Donovan Dent, a fifth-year transfer Gonzaga was expected to pursue after Saint-Supery’s departure, was affected by the ruling as well. Dent and UCLA transfer Skyy Clark, another player named in the lawsuit, could both be available when LSU visits Spokane for a Nov. 14 matchup with the Zags at Numerica Veterans Arena.
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Now he gets another shot with Phoenix, which moved quickly to claim him off waivers and add him to its final two-way contract spot. The fit gives Timme a fresh opportunity to impress a new staff while likely spending time between the Suns and their G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, and it sets up the next test in a career that has stayed alive by persistence as much as pedigree. [Read more 🡒]
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Graham Ike is also poised to enter that mix, expected to make his NBA debut with the Golden State Warriors on a two-way deal. At the same time, the Gonzaga alumni list looks a little different than it did a year ago, with Brandon Clarke's death over the summer and Kelly Olynyk taking his game overseas to BC Roma after his final NBA stint with the San Antonio Spurs. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzagas National Standing Is Clear As Another Big Season Nears
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For Gonzaga, the more striking part may be the continuity behind the number. This is the 14th straight year the Zags have opened in the preseason top 20 and the 17th consecutive season they have shown up in the Coaches poll, a stretch that underscores just how durable the programs standing has become. Florida was picked No. 1, with Duke and Illinois right behind, but Gonzaga remains firmly in the national mix before a game has even been played. [Read more 🡒]