Gonzaga basketball starts the 2025-26 season a bit further down in the preseason polls, hoping to find enough depth off the bench to prove the critics wrong.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Gonzaga basketball.
Mark Few is heading into year 27 at Gonzaga and still searching for championship number one. This year, his Zags are led by super senior Graham Ike, who is one of the most dominant forces in the country, and can still burn teams from deep (although not often). He’ll be joined by Braden Huff in the frontcourt, making one of the best tandems in the low post in the country.
Point guard will be run by Braeden Smith, who had two standout seasons at Colgate, and is regarded as one of the best playmakers in mid-major hoops.
The wing spots are the most concerning. Former Arizona State guard Adam Miller should be more than serviceable, and actually good be in for a big year in the WCC, but is joined by Steele Venters, who hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season. Two straight medical redshirts is a bit of a problem, even though Venters was a great scorer and three-point shooter at Eastern Washington.
The biggest question mark for Gonzaga? The bench. Right now, there are three surefire players who will get minutes. Davis Fogle, a top-50 recruit, Spanish freshman point guard Mario Saint-Supery, and Jalen Warley. After that, Ismaila Diagne should get limited minutes at the backup center spot, and Emmanuel Innocenti will help with more depth when needed.
While Gonzaga is still the cream of the crop in the WCC, they lack as much star power as usual and will need a strong bench to compete on the national stage. And with their non-conference slate, that will need to start right away.
Head coach:Â Mark Few (27th season overall, all at Gonzaga)
2024-25 record:Â 26-9 (14-4)
2025 postseason finish:Â Lost to Houston (81-76) in second round of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:Â
- Khalif Battle (13.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.1 SPG)
- Ryan Nembard (10.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 40.4 3P%)
- Nolan Hickman (10.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 44.5 3P%)
- Ben Gregg (9.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 57.1 FG%)
- Michael Ajayi (6.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 0.8 APG)
- Dusty Stromer (4.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.7 APG)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- vs. Oklahoma (Nov. 8)
- vs. Creighton (Nov. 11)
- at Arizona State (Nov. 14)
- vs. Alabama (Nov. 24) – Players Era Festival
- vs. Maryland (Nov. 25) – Players Era Festival
- Players Era Festival (Nov. 26-27)
- vs. Kentucky (Dec. 5) – Nashville, TN
- vs. UCLA (Dec. 13) – Seattle, WA
- vs. Oregon (Dec. 21) – Portland, OR
Projected Rotation
PG: Braeden Smith (6-0, 170, Rs.-Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 12.5 PPG, 5.6 APG, 5.5 RPG, 1.9 SPG (Colgate)
SG: Adam Miller (6-3, 200, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 9.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 42.9 3P% (Arizona State)
SF: Steele Venters (6-7, 200, Gr.-Sr.)
2022-23 stats: 15.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 37.1 3P% (Eastern Washington)
*Missed 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons due to injuries
PF: Braden Huff (6-10, 250, Rs.-Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 11.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 57.7 FG%
C: Graham Ike (6-9, 250, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 17.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 59.8 FG%, 39.4 3P%
6: Davis Fogle (6-7, 200, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #39-ranked recruit
7: Mario Saint-Supery (6-3, 199, Fr.)
International recruit from Spain
8: Jalen Warley (6-7, 205, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 7.5 PPG, 2.8 APG, 2.6 RPG, 1.3 SPG (Florida State)
*Missed 2024-25 season
9: Ismaila Diagne (7-0, 237, So.)
2024-25 stats: 3.4 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.0 APG, 80.0 FG%, 6.6 MPG, 10 GP
10: Emmanuel Innocenti (6-5, 198, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 1.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 34.5 FG%
11: Parker Jefferson (6-9, 240, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #211-ranked recruit
Gonzaga basketball team MVP: Graham Ike
Ike isn’t just the best player for the Zags, but is one of the top players in the country. At 6-9, 250, he’s got the perfect combination of a bruising big with post moves and finesse. He can also let it fly when absolutely needed and can put it on the deck and work his way inside. Think of him as a Zach Randolph (in his older years) type of player.
Defensively, Ike isn’t a shot blocker, but he rebounds well and controls the paint on both ends of the floor. He’s on the shortlist for one of the best big men in the country, and with one year at Gonzaga under his belt, and one year of eligibility left, he’s got to be in for a great year to close out a great career.
Gonzaga basketball make-or-break player: Jalen Warley
Warley didn’t play at Virginia last year, opting to transfer right after Tony Bennett announced his retirement. So Warley made his way to Gonzaga, but redshirted last season because he transferred so close to the start of the year.
Warley’s numbers won’t jump off the page, but I’m not sure if they tell the whole story. He chose Florida State out of high school and played on some pretty bad Seminoles teams. While Leonard Hamilton had a great overall career, he didn’t have the best final years of coaching, and clearly didn’t maximize the five-star recruit.
Now, Warley will suit up in 2025-26 for Mark Few. And mind you, Mark Few NEEDS to find some sparkplugs off the bench. The starting lineup is promising, and the bench isn’t bad, but it could be even better if Warley can find his game. Any time you can get a player of Warley’s upside, it can be a game-changer. Gonzaga is hoping they can get the potential to play out in real time.
Key analytic: Assists per game
Last season, Gonzaga led the country in field goals made per game, where second in points per game, second in field goal percentage, and second in free throw percentage.
While having efficient players is a key component, you really have to look at how the Zags led the country in assists per game to tell the full story.
Of course, Ryan Nembhard’s 9.8 APG accounted for nearly half of the Zags’ 19.7 as a team, and he’s the main guy to replace. It’s some big shoes to fill for Braeden Smith, so we’ll see if the Colgate transfer is up to the challenge.
Gonzaga basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish: 1st in the WCC
Projected postseason ceiling:Â NCAA Tournament Elite 8 exit