Gonzaga’s backcourt among Dickie V’s floor generals to watch in 2024-25 season

Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman and Khalif Battle were among Vitale's top six backcourt groupings for the 2024-25 college basketball season

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale will be keeping a close eye on the Gonzaga men’s basketball program this season, specifically the Bulldogs’ trio of senior guards. 

Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman and Khalif Battle are among Vitale’s top six backcourt groupings heading into the 2024-25 season, while head coach Mark Few was mentioned on the shortlist of Vitale's “architects of success.” Vitale’s preseason picks were released Tuesday.

Nembhard set Gonzaga’s single-season assists record and was named to the All-WCC first team as he led the conference in assists (6.8 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (4.6-1) last season. His playmaking down the stretch of the regular season and into the NCAA Tournament helped propel the Zags to the program’s ninth straight Sweet 16.

Hickman had a career-year in his new role next to Nembhard in the backcourt, as he put up 14.0 points per game, shot a team-best 41.3% from downtown and earned All-WCC second team honors. His 3-point marksmanship was big for a team that lost Steele Venters to an ACL injury just days before the season opener.

On the flip side, it was clear Mark Few and the coaching staff were forced to heavily lean on the starting backcourt due to concerns over guard depth. Hence why Few and company brought in Battle, a grad transfer from Arkansas who’s going into his sixth year of college basketball. The 6-foot-5 New Jersey native can fill up the scoring column in a hurry, evidenced by the fact he averaged 29.6 points against the SEC in his final seven games with the Razorbacks. Emmanuel Innocenti, another 6-foot-5 guard, was brought in from Tarleton State for his defensive versatility.

Along with the Zags, Vitale has his eyes on Alabama trio Mark Sears, Chris Youngblood, Latrell Wrightsell Jr; Kansas duo Dajuan Harris Jr and AJ Storr, North Carolina's RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau and Ian Jackson, Purdue's Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, and Houston's L.J. Cryer, Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan.

Also worth noting Gonzaga's frontcourt was not mentioned on Vitale's list of "low post enforcers." That despite the fact Graham Ike is a candidate to earn preseason All-American honors from the Associated Press (he was an All-American honorable mention last season) and likely the early favorite to win the WCC Player of the Year award. Braden Huff has the potential to take another step forward after an impressive redshirt freshman campaign, while Ben Gregg has the chance to hit the ground running as a full-time starter.

Vitale certainly isn’t the only one in college basketball circles who has taken note of Gonzaga’s new-look backcourt. Blue Ribbon Yearbook gave the Bulldogs’ guards an “A+” grade and predicted Battle will win the WCC Newcomer of the Year award in the publication’s 2024-25 season preview that released earlier this month. Battle and Nembhard are also among the early favorites to win the Wooden Award, according to betting lines from major U.S. sportsbooks.

To think what the expectations would've been for the Zags if Colgate transfer Braeden Smith hadn't opted to redshirt for the 2024-25 season. The reigning Patriot League Player of the Year decided to preserve a year of eligibility and work on his game instead of playing a few minutes per game in an already crowded backcourt room as a junior. Smith will have two more seasons to play as a redshirt junior in 2025-26.