Gonzaga’s roster is still taking shape as August arrives, and the search for help has only gotten more interesting after Mario Saint-Supery chose to return to Spain instead of playing in Spokane for his sophomore season.
That leaves Mark Few and the Bulldogs looking for a point guard, while also trying to add experience and perimeter shooting ahead of what the source describes as a pivotal season in the Pac-12 conference. And with a new eligibility lawsuit in North Carolina now in the mix, a fresh pool of possible fifth-year players could end up on Gonzaga’s radar.
The suit, filed by over 50 student-athletes, is seeking a temporary and permanent injunction that would allow the players to compete this season. If it eventually opens the door for eligibility in 2026-27, Gonzaga could have several names worth tracking.
The clearest need in Spokane is at point guard, but the most intriguing overall fit from this group may actually be a wing: Donovan Atwell. The 6-foot-5 guard/wing has a reputation built on pure shooting volume and efficiency.
At Texas Tech last season, he knocked down 45.8% of his 8.4 three-point attempts per game. That kind of production would be seismic for Gonzaga - his 130 made threes would blow past the program record of 117 set by Dan Dickau.
And it wasn’t just one hot year. Atwell shot 39.3% from deep across three seasons at UNC Greensboro, including 42% on 6.6 attempts per game as a sophomore and 39.8% on 7.5 attempts per game as a junior. For Gonzaga, that kind of perimeter threat would help pull attention away from Braden Huff and Massamba Diop inside.
Still, the point guard options are where this gets really relevant for the Zags.
Kobe Holloman, a 6-foot-2 guard from Minneapolis, spent three years under Tom Izzo at Michigan State and developed into a steady floor general. His junior season with the Spartans included averages of 9.1 points, 3.7 assists, and just 1.6 turnovers in 23.1 minutes. He then transferred to NC State and played one season for Will Wade, putting up 9.2 points and 2.1 assists while shooting 40.2% from three on four attempts per game.
Holloman has made a habit of taking care of the ball, with just 1.0 turnover per game across 138 career appearances. He’s also a 38.2% three-point shooter and an 81.6% free-throw shooter. He doesn’t bring the same level of playmaking as Donovan Dent, and he is undersized, but he would still give Gonzaga a dependable option at the point.
Dallin Hall brings a different profile. The 6-foot-4 Utah native spent three years at BYU before finishing his fourth season at Virginia, where he averaged 5.9 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 turnovers per game.
His shooting dipped to a career-low 32% from three in the ACC, but he had been a much better 35.9% shooter from deep over his three seasons in Provo. Hall also averaged 7.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 1.7 turnovers in his BYU career, giving Few a pass-first guard with size and a track record as a shooter.
Then there’s Javontae Campbell, the least familiar name of the bunch but one with plenty to like. The 6-foot-2 guard played two years of junior college ball before spending two Division 1 seasons at Bowling Green.
Last season, he averaged 18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and an NCAA-leading 3.0 steals per game. The year before, he was at 2.8 steals per contest, which put him among the sport’s best perimeter defenders.
Campbell also attacks downhill and got to the line 6.4 times per game at Bowling Green, where he shot 76.1% from the stripe. The three-point shot is the concern - his career mark is 28.9% on 1.8 attempts per game - but his defense, passing, and ability to pressure the rim make him a real option at point guard.
The final name is Jalen Calmese, who has already put his name into the mix for a fifth year after it had been rumored for a while. The 6-foot-2 guard could end up at his fifth different school, after stops at Lamar, Washington, Washington State, and Wake Forest.
Calmese already crossed paths with Gonzaga while at Washington State, scoring 20 points with eight assists and four steals on 9-for-14 shooting in a 2025 loss in Pullman. He averaged 15.2 points and 3.3 assists that season for the Cougars, then followed with 10.3 points and 4.5 assists at Wake Forest while shooting 39.8% from three on 4.0 attempts per game.
For Gonzaga, his passing and outside shooting make him one of the cleaner fits on the board. And if he somehow ended his career at a third different Division I school in Washington, that would be quite a story too.
In Other News...
Mark Few Just Gained A Huge Edge With Elite Washington Guard
Jalen Davis is the kind of recruit Gonzaga has been tracking for a while, and the timing of his upcoming official visit only sharpens the picture. The Washington standout, one of the most coveted guards in the 2027 class, has set visits with five schools, but the Bulldogs will get him in early November when the Zags are expected to be at home, giving Mark Fews staff a chance to make its pitch in a setting that usually plays well with elite prospects.
Davis has the rsum to back up the attention, with a reputation as a dynamic combo guard who can score and defend at a high level. Gonzagas place on the schedule matters here, too, because it comes after his other stops and gives the Bulldogs a late chance to leave the strongest impression as they try to stay in the mix for one of the top players in Washington. [Read more 🡒]