Had to take some time to cool off, gather everything together. Point guard Mario Saint-Supery announced on his Instagram that he’s leaving the Gonzaga Bulldogs program to return to his home country of Spain. The 20-year-old will now play for Valencia Basket in the Liga ACB for a reported north of $15 million on a four-year deal, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norelander, making him one of the highest-paid players in all of Europe.
Making this decision at this point in the offseason shows a lack of loyalty and character from a more than talented floor leader who was expected to have a national breakout season with the Zags in his sophomore campaign. At least when forward/center Filip Petrusev left Gonzaga after the 2019-20 season to play for the ABA League’s Mega Basket, he was present in his native country of Serbia, and did it right before the official offseason workouts began. Saint-Supery coming back to Spokane, Washington, for Domantas Sabonis’ ceremony earlier this week after playing with Spain in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers is really an inconsiderate, deliberate action.
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He blindsided coach Mark Few. It puts the staff in a hole, scrambling to find more help at the lead guard spot with a decimated NCAA transfer portal pool. Not to mention hurting his former teammates, especially regarding sophomore wing Davis Fogle and sophomore center Massamba Diop’s NBA Draft stock. Saint-Supery was practicing with all the Zags just 24 hours before and gave the out-of-the-blue news late last night.
This looks to be the future now when dealing with international prospects, bidding wars with EuroLeague teams who have more funds than the Pacific Northwest institution. Name, Image, and Likeness or NIL in the NCAA has hurt the integrity of college basketball.
Gonzaga’s updated roster count is now at 13 of the 15 potential spots filled. New starting lineup looks like:
Senior guard Nathan De Sousa
Sophomore guard Isiah Harwell
Sophomore wing Davis Fogle
Redshirt senior forward Braden Huff
Sophomore center Massamba Diop
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The 23-year-old French De Sousa of the LNB Pro A’s Cholet Basket will be handed the keys to the offense once he arrives on campus for what should be his lone season of college eligibility. Expect Fogle to have more on-ball opportunities and bring the ball up as well.
Don’t put the pressure on the 2027 commit, four-star point guard Dooney Johnson, to reclassify and head to college a year early. That will ruin the momentum that he’s currently building and developing as a future Zag on the high school level. The search for help in the backcourt will most likely come from assistant coach and Director of Basketball Operations Jorge Sanz in the overseas market, using Saint-Supery’s previous money left on the table as leverage.
Utterly shocked and disgusted by Saint-Supery’s inopportune act. Much, much worse than former Gonzaga commit, Alba Berlin/New York Knicks combo guard Jack Kayil’s choice to keep his name in the 2026 NBA Draft earlier this summer.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
