Gonzaga could be without a point guard after latest eligibility ruling

Bennett is a 5’10 point guard who averaged 15.8 points and 2.9 assists last year for the Flyers. He spent one year at Merrimack and the past three at Dayton, and quickly pursued a fifth year of eligibility after the NCAA announced that the 5-in-5 rule was going into effect.

“It’s definitely a crazy time in college basketball,” Bennett told Lawson. “For me, when I heard I was left out of that 5-in-5 window, I was definitely devastated. I think if you’re going to give players after us a chance, I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to get a chance. I think it’s fair for us to appeal to that situation and like I said, I think kids that have somewhere to play will be able to benefit from the 5-in-5.”

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The likeliest avenue for Bennett to get eligible again is if the NCAA’s appeal in the Ohio lawsuit fails, but as of now, it is unclear when that ruling will happen – which could eliminate any chance of Bennett playing this upcoming season.

Which Gonzaga players are still eligible?

Fortunately for Gonzaga, none of the other players on the roster – or key targets – are relying solely on the Colorado lawsuit. Chauncey Wiggins, a 6’10 forward who shot 39% from three at Florida State last year, is eligible thanks to the ruling in Georgia – and while a stay request has been filed by the NCAA, it has not been granted as of this writing.

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Meanwhile, Gonzaga’s top two point guard targets – Xaivian Lee from Florida and Donovan Dent from UCLA – are both eligible thanks to a recent ruling in California. The NCAA will almost certainly file a stay request in this lawsuit as well, but for now both star guards are eligible to transfer to Gonzaga.

No one else on Gonzaga’s roster, including recently cleared wing Skylar Wicks, is impacted by any of the lawsuits.

What will Gonzaga do next?

Good question. Gonzaga has to operate as if Bennett is no longer going to suit up for the team, which makes the pursuit of either Lee or Dent (or both?) even more significant.

The team does have a commitment from 23-year-old French guard Nathan de Sousa, but he is also in eligibility limbo thanks to the NCAA’s crackdown on international players with professional experience. It is anyone’s guess when his eligibility will be decided, but right now he is a far more important piece for Gonzaga than initially thought.

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The NCAA’s stay requests in California and Georgia are important for Gonzaga fans to pay attention to, as they will determine whether Wiggins, Lee, and Dent can play this year or if the team will be scrambling to find PG minutes in 2026-27.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Gonzaga could be without a point guard after latest eligibility ruling.