How a recent NCAA court ruling could give Gonzaga unexpected backcourt help

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are in full scramble mode following the shocking news that Mario Saint-Supery – projected as the team’s starting point guard in 2026-27 – is instead heading to Valencia in Spain on a massive, multi-year deal.

The move leaves the Zags with very little depth in the backcourt and only one player with real point guard experience in 23-year-old Nathan de Sousa from France – and he is still working through eligibility with the NCAA.

Davis Fogle, Isiah Harwell, and freshmen Luca Foster and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa are not traditional point guards, while 26-year-old Skylar Wicks is also in a battle with the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility.

While there is some talent available in the transfer portal – including Weber State’s Tijan Saine and Maryland’s Myles Rice – the Zags could benefit from a recent ruling in Ohio, where a judge granted a preliminary injunction for 15 men’s college basketball players to have an additional year of eligibility.

This ruling immediately cleared these players to play in 2026-27 and allows them to enter the transfer portal outside the designated window. Since the ruling, Utah State’s MJ Collins has transferred to Cincinnati, while Filip Borovicanin has committed to play at Xavier.

It’s possible the NCAA fights this on appeal, making these additions a risk, but there are a handful of players who – assuming they do enter the portal – could instantly boost Gonzaga’s depleted backcourt.

Below is a look at some of those potential targets for Few and the Zags to consider with the two open spots on the roster:

Javon Bennett – Dayton Flyers

Nov 19, 2023; Charleston, SC, USA; Dayton Flyers guard Javon Bennett (0) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Of the non-committed guards recently granted eligibility, Dayton’s Javon Bennett is the most tantalizing. The 5’11 point guard from Florida spent his freshman season at Merrimack in 2022-23 and the last three years at Dayton in the A-10, increasing his scoring output each season – culminating in an All-A-10 First Team selection in 2025-26, where he averaged 15.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 steals in 34.5 minutes per game

Bennett is a high-volume three-point shooter who hit 34.7% of his 7.0 attempts last year, while also shooting a ridiculously effective 89.8% from the free-throw line. The senior was even better in 2024-25, hitting 39% of his 5.4 three-point attempts per game for the Flyers.

While he’s undersized – and is more of a scorer than a facilitator – Bennett is quite possibly the most talented guard Gonzaga can capably get their hands on, and he’d fit coach Few’s up-tempo system quite nicely in Spokane.

Malik Moore – Xavier Musketeers

Mar 11, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Malik Messina-Moore (1) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga has seen Malik Moore a handful of times in his career, as the California native spent the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons in the WCC at Pepperdine. After averaging 8.8 points as a sophomore with the Waves, Moore came up north to play for Montana in the Big Sky as a junior, posting averages of 12.6 points and 2.4 assists while shooting 40.9% from 3 on five attempts per game.

The 6’5 guard then spent his senior season at Xavier in the Big East, averaging 10.9 points and a career-high 3.8 assists (8th in the Big East) along with just 1.5 turnovers. While his shooting dropped to 31.8% from deep, he has been over 36% in each of his previous three years and could bounce back as a floor spacer in Spokane with the Zags.

Moore offers good positional size and some facilitation skills, making him a quality addition to Gonzaga’s backcourt even if he’s not a pure point guard.

Josh Reed – Penn State Nittany Lions

Mar 8, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Josh Reed (10) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bennett and Moore both have on-ball point guard experience, while Reed is definitely more of a wing. However, the 6’7 Atlanta native is a gifted scorer who broke out last year at Penn State in the Big Ten, averaging 11.5 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 55.3% on twos, 36.8% from three, and 87.2% from the free-throw line.

Bennett’s size, experience, ability to get downhill, and outside shooting make him a great target for Gonzaga despite his limited on-ball experience. The Zags could have Wicks and/or Fogle take more on-ball reps, with Reed capable of sliding into those minutes on the wing.

Others

Drake guard Jalen Quinn (3) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jalen Quinn averaged a whopping 19.7 points last year at Drake in the Missouri Valley, shooting 49.9% on twos and 34.3% from three. He wasn’t nearly as impactful in his three previous years at Loyola Chicago, but the Zags could bet on the 6’3 guard’s breakout season.

Chevalier Emery averaged 12.7 points and 2.0 assists last year at Cleveland State in just under 22 minutes per game, while shooting 38.2% from three. He also spent time at Merrimack and Western Carolina, but is a risk to take on a big role at a school like Gonzaga.

Christian Henry is a 6’3 guard from Chicago who scored in double figures at Eastern Michigan in 2024-25 and at Fordham this past season, where he also averaged 5.1 assists in 28.4 minutes per game. He’s a great passer and generates steals, but he shot just 26.1% from three and 56.3% from the free-throw line last year in the A-10, which is far from ideal for the Zags.

Ziare Wells spent his first Division 1 season at Oakland in 2025-26, averaging 9.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in nearly 27 minutes per game. His 37.7% mark from three is solid, but came on a low volume. At 6’6 he offers nice positional size, but does not play point guard and is probably a tad redundant with Wicks, Ekanga-Ehawa, and Foster on the roster.

Today’s best reads

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as How a recent NCAA court ruling could give Gonzaga unexpected backcourt help.

Source link