Welcome to my team preview series for 2024-25. Each day between now and the start of the college basketball season, I will preview one team or conference, both on Instagram (@collegehoopsoutlet) and through an article here. The preview will go in-depth on the roster build of the team, my expectations for their upcoming season, and the state of the program under their current head coach.
Gonzaga (Projected: 1st in WCC)
Mark Few has done everything except win a national championship over the course of his 25-year tenure with Gonzaga. This 2024-25 team should have a great chance to win the title, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Zags can get over the hump. This year’s team may not have the top-end NBA talent like the 2020-21 and 2021-22 teams did, but the experience across the board has me excited for what they can accomplish.
Starting off the group of returners for the Zags is Graham Ike (17 ppg, 7 rpg). Ike joined the Zags last season from Wyoming, having a spectacular first year in the WCC and establishing himself as one of the best post scorers in the country. The focal point of the Zags post offense now with Anton Watson gone, Ike could see slight upticks in his numbers across the board as he continues to dominate in the WCC. Ben Gregg (9 ppg, 6 rpg) should start alongside Ike, inserted into the starting lineup halfway through last season and really engineering the Zags late-season turnaround with his ability to stretch the floor and providing another tall option for the Zags. Braden Huff (9 ppg) had a solid freshman season, but most of his big games came against inferior competition. He doesn’t need to play a big role for the Zags, but there will surely be games where he is called upon to play important minutes in the wake of foul trouble or injury. Jun Seok Yeo (2 ppg) didn’t feature much in his first season at Gonzaga and will likely suffer the same fate with a handful of very talented guys ahead of him in the frontcourt.
The Zags return all three guards from their primary rotation last season, with Nolan Hickman (14 ppg), Ryan Nembhard (13 ppg, 4 rpg, 7 apg) and Dusty Stromer (5 ppg) all returning. Hickman was the primary scorer in the backcourt for Gonzaga a year ago, a three-level scorer who shoots it well from three (41.3% 3P) and can attack the rim. Nembhard is the ultra-experienced point guard for the group, averaging nearly seven assists per game last season and controlling the game for the Zags. Stromer was thrust into a bigger role than likely planned in his freshman year after Steele Venters went down just before the beginning of the season. Stromer should find himself in a more comfortable spot this season, and with a year under his belt should be a positive contributor off the bench for the Zags.
The Zags lost just two players this offseason, with forward Anton Watson (15 ppg, 7 rpg) graduating and Luka Krajnovic (3 ppg) entering the transfer portal. Watson will be a big miss for the Zags, likely their best defender from last season’s team and his departure pokes a hole in a talented lineup. The biggest adjustment for life without Watson will be on the defensive end, but he also provided a lot offensively and on the glass for the Zags.
Michael Ajayi (17 ppg, 10 rpg at Pepperdine) is the guy Mark Few brought in to try to plug the hole of Anton Watson’s departure. Playing at Pepperdine last season, Ajayi has proven himself in the WCC and will now become an important piece for the league’s top team. The arrival of Ajayi gives Gonzaga a lengthy wing who can score at all three levels, with good enough athleticism to be a positive contributor on the defensive end for the Zags. Ismaila Diagne (Senegal) is the other incoming forward, a 7-foot center who comes over from Real Madrid in Spain with four years of eligibility. Diagne likely won’t have a big impact as a freshman, but he and Braden Huff could be the guys of the future in the frontcourt.
Khalif Battle (15 ppg at Arkansas) is the top newcomer in the backcourt, a crafty, scoring guard with five seasons of collegiate experience. Battle is a much needed add in the backcourt, providing a different dynamic from Nembhard and Hickman, as someone you can take off the bench and into the game to provide a huge scoring spark and a flash of pace. Emmanuel Innocenti (7 ppg, 6 rpg at Tarleton State) is the final addition who will suit up this season, a 6-5 wing who was one of the best defenders in the WAC last season. Stepping up to Gonzaga and instantly thrusted into one of the best non-conference schedules in the country, Innocenti may struggle to see time right away, but he should be a valuable piece as likely the top defender in the Gonzaga backcourt.
Both Braeden Smith (13 ppg, 6 rpg, 6 apg at Colgate) and Steele Venters (15 ppg at Eastern Washington in 2022-23) will be a part of the Gonzaga roster this season, but not be a factor on the court. Smith transfers in after winning Patriot League Player of the Year last season at Colgate but will redshirt in 2024-25 before likely taking the starting point guard role following the graduation of Ryan Nembhard. Venters joined Gonzaga last offseason, before tearing his ACL just days before the 2023-24 season again. Bad luck struck Venters twice, with the veteran sharpshooter injuring his Achilles in late August, putting him out for the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign as well.
Mark Few is one of the best coaches in college basketball, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s hoisting a national championship trophy. This season’s team has a very good chance in my eyes, but the biggest hole will be on the defensive side of the ball. If Few can get this team to lock in on the defensive side of the ball, even for just six games in late March and early April, the offensive talent and experience is there for this team to win it all.
The offensive talent and experience are there for Gonzaga, and it’s provided by a great mix of returners and transfers. Nembhard, Hickman, Gregg, and Ike all return from last season’s starting lineup, while Battle and Ajayi transfer in and should be a part of the top seven in the rotation. Khalif Battle is my X-factor for this Gonzaga team, an exciting and flashy scoring guard whose impact off the bench will prove whether this Gonzaga team really is a lot deeper than last season or not.
The lone competitor for Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference following the departure of BYU to the Big 12 has been Saint Mary’s under Randy Bennett. While the Gaels got the better of the Zags in 2023-24, I don’t see any way the Zags drop the regular season conference title race twice in a row. I’ve got the Zags to finish first in the WCC, and I think they claim the title by at least two games.