Most media outlets didn’t list Mark Few’s Gonzaga Bulldogs among the top winners out of the transfer portal earlier this summer.
Even with quality roster additions in 7’0 center Massamba Diop (Arizona State) and 6’6 wing Isiah Harwell (Houston), the duo wasn’t enough to put the Zags in the same tier as monster portal classes at Tennessee, Louisville, and Texas, among others.
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However, there has now effectively been a second transfer portal window, with the recent eligibility rulings across the country allowing seniors to return to college basketball for a fifth season in 2026-27.
And now Gonzaga is getting all the attention after securing a pair of fifth-year senior transfers in Dayton point guard Javon Bennett and Florida State forward Chauncey Wiggins late last week.
Isaac Trotter of CBS listed Gonzaga among his biggest winners during the dubbed ‘five-for-five transfer portal’, alongside Texas Tech and Tennessee.
Gonzaga’s second chance
Mar 14, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Dayton Flyers guard Javon Bennett (0) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
No one deserved a second chance at roster building more than Gonzaga, who lost starting point guard Mario Saint-Supery in stunning fashion when he left in mid-July to sign a multi-year contract with Valencia in Spain.
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That came a few months after the Zags also lost presumed starting shooting guard Jack Kayil, who surprisingly kept his name in the NBA draft despite being committed to Gonzaga for seven months.
Those departures, combined with lingering eligibility concerns for 21-year-old center Izan Almansa and 23-year-old French point guard Nathan de Sousa, had the Zags without a starting point guard and with very little depth on the bench as the calendar flipped to August.
Fortunately, the team was able to nab Bennett, a 5’11 high-scoring point guard who shot 35% from 3 on 7.0 attempts per game last year at Dayton, as well as Wiggins, a 6’10 flamethrower who hit 39% of his 5.8 attempts from beyond the arc last year at Florida State.
The duo not only fixed the team’s glaring depth issue, but they also provide desperately needed outside shooting and veteran experience to a roster that has just two notable returners in Braden Huff and Davis Fogle.
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Plus, as Trotter notes, the Zags can now run out a massive lineup that includes 6’7 Fogle, 6’10 Wiggins, 6’10 Huff, and 7’0 Diop, creating matchup nightmares for nearly every team in the country.
It lines up nicely for Bennett, who is elite at taking care of the basketball and can set this offensive juggernaut up for success all season long.
The Zags aren’t done yet
Mar 14, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Trotter listed Gonzaga behind Texas Tech – who secured forwards Darrion Williams and Ja’Michael Stillwell – but that could change if the Zags pull in a big fish at point guard.
To date, Gonzaga has been strongly connected to arguably the two best pure point guards pursuing a fifth year of eligibility: UCLA’s Donovan Dent and Florida’s Xaivian Lee.
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While Bennett is a fantastic point guard, adding either Dent or Lee would instantly make the Zags not only the clear-cut winners of the ‘five-in-five portal window’ but would vault them into the discussion as a national championship contender.
Currently, both Lee and Dent need another ruling to allow them to transfer; otherwise, they can only return to Florida and UCLA, respectively. But assuming that eventually happens, Gonzaga could capitalize on what has been an insanely unique and chaotic offseason by landing a massive game-changer late in the summer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Gonzaga emerges as one of the biggest winners of college basketball’s 5-in-5 transfer portal window.
