Mark Few will have a lot on his plate when he joins Team USA in Las Vegas a few weeks from now to begin preparations for the Summer Olympics, but the Gonzaga coach shouldn’t be concerned about the state of his program back in Spokane as he embarks on an international tour that includes stops in Abu Dhabi and London before arriving in Paris in late July.
Early projections of Gonzaga as a top-five team entering the 2024-25 college basketball season are largely based on the group’s returning core, but Few’s confidence in the team he’ll return to this August after wrapping up Olympic duties is also fueled by a transfer class that was strategically chosen to fill in various gaps and holes.
The best thing I think we did this offseason was add pieces that provide various parts to the program that we didn’t have before,” Few said Tuesday during a media availability at McCarthey Athletic Center.
The Zags began working in the transfer portal earlier than they had under Few, receiving a commitment from Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi on March 26 – around 72 hours before GU faced top-seeded Purdue in the Sweet 16 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Ajayi went through the NBA Draft process and impressed as one of 78 players invited to the NBA Combine, but he finally opted to put his professional basketball future on hold and withdraw his name from the Draft only hours before the 9 p.m. PT deadline of May 29.
Ajayi, an athletic, high-upside wing from Kent who led the WCC in scoring (17.9 ppg) and second in rebounding (9.9 rpg) last season, came in Spokane last week and has already participated in a few summer practices with his new squad.
We had excellent communication, which is how those things turn out the way they should, whether they go or stay,” Few explained. “We had excellent communication, and he ultimately made the right decision. Everyone was on the same page, and he was able to receive some excellent input. He also gained valuable experience by attending the Combine and participating in numerous workouts. Now that he’s back, he’s had a couple of practices and is doing well.”
Another crucial day in Gonzaga’s offseason rebuilding efforts was May 5. Arkansas guard Khalif Battle, an explosive scorer who averaged 26.6 points in the final nine games of the SEC season, made his commitment to Gonzaga, selecting Few’s club over Villanova and Kansas State for his sixth and final year of eligibility.
“Khalif will be a big help to us. “He’s different,” Few stated. “I believe his ability to get fouled is the best in college basketball. Just having that kind of man, he’s a different kind of body than we have on the wing, so I believe he’ll be all of that.”
Battle attempted 213 free throws, or 6.7 FTA per game, which would have led the West Coast Conference last season. In instance, Graham Ike, Gonzaga’s free throw leader in 2023-24, made only 134 free throws in 35 games.
Whether he’s the third guard in a small-ball starting lineup alongside returners Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman, or a dynamic scorer off the bench, the 6-foot-5 Battle provides the Zags with a bigger guard who can create off the dribble, shoot from the perimeter, and make frequent trips to the foul line, something they didn’t have last season.
“I think he recognized that and we communicated that,” he added. “That was exactly what we needed him for. So it was something; we had a need, and he was seeking for a program like this that wanted and needed him, so everything worked out perfectly.”
Gonzaga’s transfer class also features Tarleton State’s defensive standout, forward Emmanuel Innocenti, and point guard Braeden Smith, who has pledged to redshirt in 2024-25 and will likely only play in an emergency.
Innocenti might also be a future investment for a GU team that is exceptionally deep at the wing/forward positions, as the sophomore is one of only two players not currently on campus, along with recent signee Ismaila Diagne.
Smith, who also visited Washington, California, and Davidson, embraced the redshirt concept after capturing Patriot League Player of the Year honors and leading Colgate to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament participation.
“Emmanuel is still doing some things in Italy with their team,” Few remarked. “With Braeden, there was wonderful communication, tremendous openness about what was out there, but also looking ahead to next year and our roster and what was available there. To his credit, I believe he recognizes the larger picture and decided to go with it as the plan. “So far, so good there.”
READ MORE….
Zags announce the signing of
June 19 – Spokane The Gonzaga Bulldogs have welcomed seven-foot center Ismaila Diagne to their men’s basketball roster for 2024-25, according to a press release issued Tuesday. Diagne, a Nguekhokhe, Senegal native, has signed a financial aid arrangement to attend Gonzaga University. This season, he averaged 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and.9 blocks per game for Real Madrid’s Under-18 team, helping them win the Adidas Next Gen Tournament in Berlin.
During the 2023-24 Podgorica Tournament, Diagne averaged 11 points and 7.8 rebounds per game over four games. Diagne played four games for the Real Madrid national team in the Spanish Liga Endesa, averaging five points on 58% shooting, 4.5 rebounds, and one block in 12.5 minutes. He also made two EuroLeague appearances for the national team.
Leave a Reply