Is Gonzaga’s point guard problem as serious as it seems?

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs remain without a point guard on the roster as the calendar settles into August.

The surprise departure of rising sophomore Mario Saint-Supery, who returned to Spain on a multi-year deal with Valencia in mid-July, has left the Zags scrambling to fill a major hole heading into the 2026-27 season.

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The Saint-Supery news comes after another top-tier international addition, Jack Kayil, decided to stay in the NBA draft process rather than coming to Spokane from Germany. Meanwhile, 23-year-old French guard Nathan de Sousa – who committed to Gonzaga back in June – is still in a holding pattern while the NCAA evaluates his case for eligibility this upcoming season.

It sure seems like a dire situation for coach Few’s club, although recent court rulings in Ohio and Tennessee – and a federal ruling in Colorado – have opened up the market for seniors to return to college basketball for a fifth year.

While the team’s top target, Donovan Dent, is not eligible to transfer per the latest ruling, Gonzaga has plenty of other options that are currently eligible – including Javon Bennett (Dayton), Skyy Clark (UCLA), Nate Calmese (Wake Forest), and BJ Edwards (SMU), among others.

What if they strike out?

But what happens if Gonzaga doesn’t end up getting a top point guard in the newly created transfer portal? How does a team that boasts one of the top frontcourts in the country – and is still hoping for de Sousa to get eligible – look heading into the Pac-12 even without Dent, Clark, or Edwards?

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Gonzaga’s roster is outstanding at nearly every other position on the floor. A starting frontcourt of Massamba Diop and Braden Huff is among the best in the entire country, while rising sophomore wing Davis Fogle is poised for a massive breakout season after starring for this club down the stretch.

Isiah Harwell is a former McDonald’s All-American who could have a similarly strong breakout sophomore year after coming over from Houston, while the team’s depth is very solid, assuming eligibility for de Sousa, 21-year-old Real Madrid center Izan Almansa, and 6’6 St. Francis transfer wing Skylar Wicks.

That group, along with freshmen Luca Foster, Sam Funches, Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa, and redshirt freshman Parker Jefferson, gives Gonzaga plenty of upside all over the floor – but can it all come together without a veteran leading the charge?

Internal options at PG

Gonzaga has three options who can handle the ball on this roster if no other additions are made. The issue is that two of those options – de Sousa and Wicks – have their fate still in the hands of the NCAA’s compliance department.

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de Sousa comes over from France, where he should have one more year of eligibility based on the NCAA’s new five-in-five rules. However, he did play in Betclic Elite – the top pro league in France – and it’s possible the NCAA will prevent him from suiting up because of his pro status overseas.

Should he get eligible, he’d be a clear option to run the point in Spokane, having averaged 5.1 and 4.9 assists per game in each of the past two seasons with Cholet.

Wicks is a 6’6 well-travelled guard who spent last season at St. Francis in the NEC, where he averaged 17.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 28 games. He’s always been more of a scorer than a passer, but as an experienced guard who often plays with the ball in his hands, he is an option to play point guard at least in spurts for Gonzaga this upcoming season – if he gets eligible.

Wicks began his college career back in 2020-21 at Missouri State, spending two years at the junior college level before playing 30 games at Incarnate Word in 2023-24, 10 games at UTSA in 2024-25, and 28 games last year at SFU.

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That is a tough case for the NCAA, but Gonzaga is hoping the New Jersey native gets cleared and can operate as an offensive weapon off the bench in 2026-27. While he’s not a pure point guard, he is capable of filling the role on an as-needed basis.

The last option is Fogle, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him operate on the ball a fair amount this upcoming season. Right now, he’s the best backcourt player on the roster – by a wide margin – and he did play point guard at Anacortes High School prior to his growth spurt and transfer to Compass Prep.

Without a ‘pure’ point guard on the roster – until de Sousa is eligible – putting the ball in Fogle’s hands and letting him attack off screens makes the most sense for Gonzaga, and still makes this team extremely dangerous on the offensive end of the floor.

Likely outcome

Even with a roster that is top-ten caliber without a splashy addition, it’s still expected that Gonzaga will try to find at least 1-2 more pieces before the season begins.

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While Dent is the preferred choice, Gonzaga would still be in a great position to win the Pac-12 and compete for a Sweet 16 run if they added someone like Bennett, Edwards, Clark, or even more depth on the wing to allow Fogle to operate as the team’s jumbo point guard this upcoming season.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Is Gonzaga’s point guard problem as serious as it seems?.