Mark Few’s roster puzzle at Gonzaga is getting crowded in a hurry, and the newest additions only sharpen the stakes.
For much of the offseason, the Bulldogs were short on bodies, so the back end of the rotation never really felt like the issue. That changed over the past week when Gonzaga took advantage of new court rulings that opened the transfer market to fifth-year seniors, landing Dayton point guard Javon Bennett and Florida State forward Chauncey Wiggins.
Both are expected to play real minutes right away, and that immediately changes the math. Bennett and Wiggins look like rotation fixtures, while St. Francis transfer wing Skylar Wicks now appears headed into a fight for minutes in 2026-27 rather than arriving as a clean fit.
Few’s rotations are usually tight anyway. He rarely goes deeper than nine players on a regular basis, and there are seasons when he trims that down to seven. This group could still go that way, but the final shape of the lineup depends on several unresolved pieces.
Right now, six players look safely inside the nightly rotation: Massamba Diop, Braden Huff, Davis Fogle, Isiah Harwell, Bennett and Wiggins. Beyond that, everything is still in motion, and Gonzaga still has one roster spot to fill.
The biggest swing factor is at point guard. Gonzaga is still chasing a high-level replacement for Mario Saint-Supery, with Donovan Dent of UCLA and Xaivian Lee of Florida the names most often tied to the Bulldogs. Landing either one would give Gonzaga a major boost and could push this group into national championship territory, while also sending Bennett into a reserve role.
That would create a tricky situation for Nathan de Sousa, the 23-year-old French guard who is still waiting on NCAA eligibility. Under the NCAA’s new five-in-five rules, international players get five seasons in college athletics beginning the year they turn 19, which should make de Sousa eligible for one final season in 2026-27. The NCAA is still reviewing his professional time in France, though, before giving the final green light.
If Gonzaga adds Dent, Lee, or another pure point guard, de Sousa may not see much appeal in coming to Spokane as a third-string option. In that case, he could stay in France or choose another school, which would open up another roster spot and change the rotation picture again.
De Sousa is one of two Gonzaga commits in eligibility limbo. The other is 21-year-old big man Izan Almansa from Spain, whose case is complicated by the fact that he has played professionally in the NBA G League, the NBL in Australia and Spain’s Liga Endesa.
If he’s cleared, he should have a major role. If not, Gonzaga would likely need another fifth-year senior to fill the third-big spot behind Diop and Huff.
There’s also a possible internal solution. Wiggins, listed at 6-foot-10 even though he has mostly operated on the perimeter, could slide to the four. That would open the door for more wing minutes for Wicks, Luca Foster and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa.
Wicks brings a proven scoring resume to Spokane. The 6-foot-6 wing has six years of college experience, though only 74 games at the Division I level, and he was one of the best scorers in the country last season at St.
Francis. He finished second in the NEC at 17.8 points per game while shooting 36.6% from three, adding 6.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
He can score with or without the ball and rebounds well for a wing, but his late arrival makes it tougher for him to settle in before November.
Even so, Wicks has a strong case to be Gonzaga’s ninth man and the fourth wing behind Fogle, Wiggins and Harwell.
Foster is the younger option with a different edge. He has spent the whole summer in Spokane with the team and coaching staff, which matters.
A 6-foot-6 wing with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, he arrived as a 4-star recruit because of his shooting and overall offensive game. By all accounts, he has looked good in summer workouts, and his ability to hit open threes could separate him from Wicks in the battle for a spot.
Few has long shown a preference for veterans, but Foster can win the job if the shot is falling and he holds up defensively. Wicks was not considered a strong defender last season at St. Francis, so if Foster proves better on the perimeter, the freshman could get the nod despite the age gap.
Ekanga-Ehawa is another wing worth watching, even if his path this season looks thinner. The 18-year-old French wing has real upside, with active transition play and downhill ability in half-court sets from his time in JL Bourg’s youth system.
His length and athleticism also stand out on defense, but he remains raw and has spent limited time in Spokane, in part because he represented France at FIBA U19 EuroBasket. A major role in 2026-27 would be a surprise; garbage-time minutes feel more realistic.
The frontcourt has its own competition. Redshirt freshman Parker Jefferson and freshman Sam Funches are both in the mix for playing time, and their opportunities improve a lot if Almansa is ruled ineligible. That would open a third big-man role behind Diop and Huff.
Jefferson, a 6-foot-9 power forward, spent last season developing behind Huff and All-American Graham Ike. Funches, a 7-footer, brings real two-way upside and could work his way into the backup-center conversation if he can protect the rim and rebound right away.
If Almansa is available, Jefferson and Funches probably stay in limited roles. But Huff’s injury history and Almansa’s lack of time in the system mean both young bigs should still get chances to prove they belong in the rotation over the course of the season.
In Other News...
Gonzagas Point Guard Search Just Got A Huge New Twist
Gonzagas point guard hunt has taken on another layer of uncertainty with Xaivian Lee now tied into a California lawsuit seeking a fifth year of eligibility for seniors. Lee, who has already played at Princeton and Florida, joins a case that also features other players in the transfer mix, including Donovan Dent, giving this eligibility fight direct relevance to the Bulldogs backcourt plans.
The timing matters because the NCAA has already appealed a related Colorado ruling that opened the door to eligibility relief, and the California case could help shape whether players in Lees position can transfer and suit up in 2026-27. For Gonzaga, it is one more reminder that roster building in the portal is no longer just about fit and money, but also about how long a player may actually be available to play. [Read more 🡒]