Gonzaga’s roster will look much different next year. Starters Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, and Khalif Battle all graduated. Rotational pieces, Dusty Stromer and Michael Ajayi, transferred, and Ben Gregg is still in the portal as a graduate transfer, hoping the NCAA will grant him an eligibility waiver.
Returners
Gonzaga is set to return one of the nation’s premier frontcourt tandems in Graham Ike and Braden Huff. Ike led the team in scoring and rebounding, while Huff often looked like Gonzaga’s best offensive player.
Emmanuel Innocenti and Ismaila Diagne are also returning. Innocenti earned his way into the rotation midseason because he could defend on the perimeter. He will be able to contribute more next season if he improves his 3-point shooting (29.4% last season). Diagne saw limited action last season but showed promising flashes as a capable rim protector.
Redshirts
Mark Few will lean heavily on three redshirts: Braeden Smith, Jalen Warley, and Steele Venters.
Smith sat out last year after transferring from Colgate, where he was named the Patriot League Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season. Barring Gonzaga picking up a point guard in the portal, Smith will likely be the Bulldogs’ starting point guard. Smith is good at getting in the lane and dishing to his teammates (5.6 APG in 2023-24) and averaged an admirable 12 PPG that same year. Smith must be a more efficient shooter, as he posted below-average splits during the 2023-24 season (39.3 FG%, 31.1 3PT%).
Warley also sat out last year after transferring from Virginia. Warley, who measures 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, uses his length and athleticism to guard multiple positions at a high level. In his third season at FSU, he finished in the top 20 in the ACC in total steals (42) and steals per game (1.3). He could be a breakout candidate and an NBA prospect if he develops offensively and improves his shooting.
Venters transferred to Gonzaga from Eastern Washington after the 2022-23 season. He was fresh off being named Big Sky MVP and was projected to start for Gonzaga. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL right before the 2023-24 season started. After rehabbing for a full year, tragedy struck again when he suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury. Because of these two devastating injuries, it’s unclear what Venters will be able to provide for Gonzaga. If healthy, he brings much-needed outside shooting—he hit 45.7% from three at Eastern Washington.
New Additions
Gonzaga signed two freshmen: 6-foot-7 guard Davis Fogle (No. 31 on 247Sports) and 6-foot-9 center Parker Jefferson (No. 164).
Fogle is a Washington native who provides more length and shooting at the guard spot. Although Fogle is a top-35 recruit, he’s expected to see limited minutes as a freshman due to Gonzaga’s depth at the guard position. That reduced role could ultimately benefit him, giving him time to adjust to the college level, add much-needed strength—currently weighing just 185 pounds—and refine his offensive skill set. If he stays in the program and commits to developing as a scorer and playmaker, Fogle has the potential to make a significant impact by his sophomore year.
Jefferson is from Inglewood, California, and signed with the Zags after decommitting from Minnesota. The 6-foot-9 center is crafty and plays a style reminiscent of Gonzaga legend Drew Timme. He will need to improve as a defender and rebounder before carving out a meaningful role in Gonzaga’s rotation. Jefferson will likely compete for minutes with Diagne.
Gonzaga also brought in Adam Miller, an Arizona State transfer. Miller is a 6-foot-2 guard who played for Illinois and LSU before transferring and playing two seasons at ASU. He is best off the ball, where he can be a catch-and-shoot option who attacks closeouts effectively. Miller averaged 9.8 PPG while shooting 42.9% from 3-point range during the 2024-25 campaign.
Gonzaga will likely add one or two more players via the transfer portal. Derek Ravio, the former Gonzaga guard and current general manager of GU’s NIL collective, said on Dan Dickau’s show, Talking Zags, that they are “looking at two more guards in the portal.” He said that before Miller signed with Gonzaga, they would likely add one more guard.
USC’s Desmond Claude and Oklahoma’s Duke Miles are among the top remaining portal targets linked to Gonzaga.
Claude, a 6-foot-6 junior, averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds last season, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention. He’s also drawn interest from Duke, Kentucky, and Virginia, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
Miles, a 6-foot-2 redshirt senior, averaged 9.4 points while shooting 51.4% from the field and 43% from 3 at Oklahoma. He previously starred at High Point and Troy. The Athletic reports Gonzaga has reached out to Miles, along with Virginia, USC, Baylor, and Tennessee, among others.
With both guards bringing experience and scoring, either could fill a major need in Gonzaga’s reshaped backcourt and help propel the Bulldogs to a preseason top-15 ranking.
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