It’s clear the sudden departure of Gonzaga point guard Mario Saint-Supery will impact how the national media views Mark Few’s program heading into the Pac-12 in 2026-27.
How much that view changes remains to be seen – although fans got an early glimpse with CBS Insider Jon Rothstein’s updated rankings on Sunday.
Advertisement
Rothstein updates his ranking of the top 45 teams in college basketball every single day, and the Zags fell a whopping ten spots from Saturday to Sunday following the news of Saint-Supery’s signing with Valencia.
The ten teams that jumped ahead of Gonzaga, in order, are Michigan, Virginia, Texas, Tennessee, Houston, St. John’s, USC, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisville. Gonzaga is set to face Arkansas in an exhibition game at Bud Walton Arena sometime in October and could rematch with Michigan on day three of the Player’s Era Festival in Las Vegas.
Rothstein’s updated rankings include a projected starting five for each team, which for Gonzaga is Massamba Diop, Braden Huff, Davis Fogle, Isiah Harwell, and 23-year-old French point guard Nathan de Sousa replacing Saint-Supery.
Advertisement
Rothstein lists Gonzaga’s bench as Parker Jefferson, Luca Foster, Sam Funches, and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa, which does not include Real Madrid big man Izan Almansa or St. Francis transfer Skylar Wicks.
Almansa, 21, played for the G League Ignite in 2023-24 and is continuing to work through his eligibility via the NCAA before he can officially sign with the Zags. Wicks, 26, is fighting for another year of eligibility from the NCAA as well after only playing ten games at UTSA in 2024-25.
Assuming both players eventually get cleared, Gonzaga’s added bench depth could push Rothstein to move the team up a few spots – although it’s unlikely to get them back into the top ten.
Crushing blow
Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few and guard Mario Saint-Supery (17). | Photo by Erik Smith
Saint-Supery took the reins of Gonzaga’s backcourt last season, showcasing better-than-advertised outside shooting along with elite pick-and-roll navigation and a flair for the dramatic.
Advertisement
All told, the 6’3 guard averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in 23.1 minutes per game for Gonzaga, leading the team with 48 made threes at a 40.3% clip.
His absence – particularly blindsiding the staff in mid-July – will impact Gonzaga significantly this upcoming season. While there are still options for the Zags to pursue in the backcourt, they are all either not as appealing as Saint-Supery or require legal intervention in order to get approval from the NCAA, or both.
Gonzaga already dealt with a surprising loss this offseason when German guard Jack Kayil – who committed to the program in October – opted to stay in the 2026 NBA draft rather than coming to Spokane.
Kayil went No. 39 overall and landed with the New York Knicks, making his summer league debut with 12 points and three assists on Saturday.
Advertisement
Other Zag opponents on Rothstein’s top 45 include Duke (2), Michigan State (5), Purdue (23) and Creighton (40), while Pac-12 newcomer San Diego State rounds out the ranking at No. 45.
Today’s best reads
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Gonzaga falls in Jon Rothstein’s updated college basketball rankings.
