The Gonzaga Bulldogs were one of the biggest winners out of the 45 day transfer portal window: not because of who they brought in necessarily, but because they did not lose a single member of last year’s rotation outside of Anton Watson, who is out of eligibility.
The other four starters – Graham Ike, Ben Gregg, Nolan Hickman, and Ryan Nembhard – all elected to return to Spokane, along with key reserves Braden Huff and Dusty Stromer.
The Zags also picked up a big time addition in Pepperdine forward Michael Ajayi, who remains in the NBA draft process but is expected to end up in Spokane next season, and will finally get to see sharpshooter Steele Venters in action after the Eastern Washington transfer missed his first season with the Zags thanks to a torn ACL.
As if that wasn’t good enough news for a team that went to their ninth straight Sweet 16 last year, Gonzaga just landed a big time commitment out of the transfer portal in Khalif Battle, who lit it up as a scorer last year at Arkansas.
Battle will bring high level scoring off the bench for Few’s team, and his ability to get to the rim and the free throw line will be a welcome addition to a program that lacked depth last season.
Below is an updated look at Gonzaga’s lineup and rotation ahead of what should be another outstanding season on the hardwood in 2024-25:
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Senior
2023-24 Stats: 12.6 points, 6.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 35.8 minutes
Nembhard shocked college basketball when he entered the transfer portal after leading Creighton to an Elite Eight in 2023, eventually following in his older brother Andrew’s footsteps by committing to Gonzaga.
Nembhard took a while to get going in Spokane, but he was among the best point guards in the entire country for the final two months of the season, and he is in line for an All-American caliber campaign as a senior in 2024-25.
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Senior
2023-24 Stats: 14 points, 2.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 35.3 minutes
Hickman has been asked to play multiple roles for Gonzaga the past few years. First he was a backup point guard as a freshman behind Andrew Nembhard, then he was the team’s starting point guard in 2022-23, but when that didn’t go all that well he willingly shifted to shooting guard when the team added Andrew’s younger brother Ryan in the offseason.
Hickman’s move to becoming more of a pure shooter/scorer, rather than facilitator, worked wonders as the 6’3 guard drilled 41.3% of his threes, on 5.4 attempts per game, and posted a career-high with 14 points per game. He’s in line for a similar role this upcoming season, although the team’s addition of Battle will create more competition for playing time.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Graduate
2023-24 Stats: 17.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 34.7 minutes (at Pepperdine)
Ajayi is a Seattle native who spent his first two seasons at the junior college level in Washington before transferring to Pepperdine, where he turned in an All-WCC performance as the Waves leader in points and rebounds.
Ajayi isn’t quite the same player as Anton Watson but he will effectively replace him in the starting lineup, adding more floor spacing and outside shooting and allowing Steele Venters to get eased back into action after missing all of last season with an ACL injury.
The addition of Battle likely allows Mark Few to play more three-guard lineups, which could push Ajayi into a small-ball four role at times as well – much like the role Corey Kispert filled during Gonzaga’s dynamic 2020-21 campaign.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Senior
2023-24 Stats: 9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 23.6 minutes
Moving Gregg into the starting lineup might have been the best move coach Few made all season, as it immediately gave the Zags more rebounding, size, and outside shooting while allowing Stromer to more comfortably develop in a less pressure filled role.
Gregg has been a staple of Gonzaga for the past few years, and with Watson departing he is in line to have his best season in 2024-25: and if he reaches his sky high ceiling it could elevate Gonzaga to a top five caliber program.
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Redshirt Junior
2023-24 Stats: 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 24.1 minutes
Ike came to Gonzaga after missing the entire previous season with a leg injury, but he proved healthy and at times unstoppable for the Zags – dominating in conference play and leading the Zags to huge victories over Kentucky, St. Mary’s, and Kansas.
Ike has a chance to be an All-American for Gonzaga this upcoming season, and with two years of eligibility remaining he could end his career in Spokane as one of the team’s all-time greats.
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Graduate
2023-24 Stats: 14.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 35.3% from three, 87.3% FT line
Battle started 13 of 32 games for Arkansas last season, and during his five year college career he’s only made 32 starts out of 101 games. That should allow him to seamlessly adjust to a third guard role in Spokane for the Zags – and his ability to score points in a hurry is the missing piece for Mark Few’s team.
Battle averaged 29.6 points in his final seven games in a Hogs uniform, including a 42 point performance against Missouri, and if he can play at that level for Gonzaga they will be among the deepest and most difficult teams to defend in the country.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Redshirt Sophomore
2023-24 Stats: 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 13.5 minutes
Huff redshirted in 2022-23, spending the entire season developing against Drew Timme in practice, and he broke out in his first season for the Zags – posting multiple 20+ point games off the bench early in the year.
He struggled a bit in conference play and against top tier opponents, particularly on defense, but his growth throughout the season should have him in line for a huge role off the bench in 24-25.
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Redshirt Junior
2023-24 Stats: Did Not Play (ACL Injury)
Venters transferred to Gonzaga after winning Big Sky Player of the Year at Eastern Washington – over Dalton Knecht who went on to become an All-American at Tennessee – but he suffered a torn ACL two days before the season started and was unable to suit up.
It’s been a longtime dream of Venters’ to play for Gonzaga, and while the team’s additions of Ajayi and Battle will cut into his playing time that allows him to get eased back into action after missing an entire year with the knee injury.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Sophomore
2023-24 Stats: 4.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 23.5 minutes
Stromer was a top 50 freshman in the 2023 class, and he unexpectedly was a starter for the first half of the season after Venters went down with an injury.
Stromer thrived in the second half of the year when Few added Gregg to the starting lineup, and his development will be a key piece of Gonzaga’s quest for a title in 2024.
Mark Few rarely plays nine guys on any given night, which means if Venters is healthy it will be a battle between the two of them for consistent minutes. That’s a great problem for coach Few to have.
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Class: Junior
2023-24 Stats: 2.3 points, 1.2 rebounds, 6.9 minutes in 25 games
It’s hard to imagine Yeo carving out any kind of significant role for the Bulldogs next season, even though he showed flashes of promise during his first season of action in 2023-24.
Yeo could be in line for a bigger role after this season is up, when Gregg, Ajayi, Battle, Hickman, and Nembhard are all out of eligibility.
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Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball-lineup-khalif-battle/