The gang is (almost) all here. With summer workouts getting underway in less than a month, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are beginning to file into Spokane to get settled before the first team event in early July.
Isiah Harwell, a former McDonald’s All-American and transfer from Houston, made his arrival in Spokane public last Friday after posting a picture on Gonzaga’s campus to his Instagram account.
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He joins incoming freshman Luca Foster and Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop in making it to campus. Freshman Sam Funches is reportedly arriving in Spokane on Saturday, while Real Madrid big man Izan Almansa will need confirmation of eligibility from the NCAA before he makes it to Gonzaga.
Harwell committed to Gonzaga back on April 12 and officially signed the paperwork to be a Zag on May 26. Prior to that, the 6’6 wing declared for the NBA draft and even received an invite to the G League Elite Camp before ultimately withdrawing and cementing his spot with Gonzaga for 2026-27.
Harwell has been a target of Gonzaga’s for over three years now, with the team pursuing him heavily out of Pocatello, ID, early in his high school career. Harwell ended up transferring to Wasatch Academy in Utah and earned a McDonald’s All-American spot as a senior while ranking top 15 in the 2025 class.
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Harwell ended up picking Houston over Gonzaga, Texas, Cal, and a few others, but a lingering knee injury and a deep Coogs roster led to the 6’6 wing playing a limited role as a freshman.
Harwell ultimately averaged just 13.8 minutes per game, along with 3.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.6 steals while shooting 29.5% on twos and 27.1% from three.
Fit at Gonzaga
Now that he’s another year removed from the injury, Harwell has a chance to be a big-time sophomore breakout candidate in Spokane. Standing 6’6 with a 6’9 wingspan, Harwell’s elite athleticism, toughness, and motor make him an appealing starter next to fellow sophomores Mario Saint-Supery and Davis Fogle in Gonzaga’s backcourt.
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The offense will run through senior Braden Huff, with Fogle, Saint-Supery, and Diop all getting plenty of touches as well. That allows Harwell to take his time adjusting to a much different offense than he experienced at Houston – while expending a lot of his energy wreaking havoc on the defensive side of the floor.
With Jack Kayil opting to stay in the NBA draft process, Harwell is the clear favorite to start for Gonzaga this upcoming season. While the team still has 1-2 guard additions expected in the next few weeks, Harwell should get every opportunity to blossom in 2026-27 as Gonzaga transitions into the new-look Pac-12.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Gonzaga transfer Isiah Harwell officially arrives in Spokane ahead of 2026-27 season.
