Apr. 22—Ben Gregg probably played his final game in a Gonzaga uniform last month against Houston in the NCAA Tournament, but the senior added his name to the transfer portal late Tuesday night to keep his options open in case the NCAA passes a waiver offering players an additional year of eligibility.
Gregg, who just completed his senior season with Gonzaga, confirmed to The Spokesman-Review via text message Tuesday night he’d entered the portal in the “slim chance” the NCAA adopts a five-year clock, which would potentially extend the forward’s career.
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Dozens of other college players with zero eligibility remaining have recently put their name in the portal with a House vs. NCAA antitrust settlement decision looming that could alter the current four-year eligibility clock, possibly giving athletes another year to compete.
Gregg clarified to the S-R Tursday he’s “focused on trying to get to the professional level for now.” The 30-day window for players to enter the transfer portal closed at 9 p.m. on Tursday.
News of Gregg entering the portal arrived hours after two frontcourt mates, Graham Ike and Braden Huff, both announced they’d be returning to Gonzaga next season.
Huff replaced Gregg in the starting lineup ahead of Gonzaga’s clash with Saint Mary’s in the West Coast Conference Tournament title game. Gregg, who’s started in 39 games over the past two seasons, also came off the bench in both NCAA Tournament games against Georgia and Houston.
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The Clackamas, Oregon, native enrolled at Gonzaga early, arriving in Spokane midway through his senior year of high school and playing in 18 games for the 2020-21 Zags team that advanced to the national championship game.
The versatile forward played in 141 career games at Gonzaga, which ranks No. 7 in school history, and totaled 875 points and 533 rebounds.
Gregg came off the bench for the first 87 games of his career before moving into GU’s starting lineup midway through the 2023-24 season. He started in 20 of 35 games for the Zags last season while averaging a career-high 9.1 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game.
