Gonzaga’s newcomers have ‘hit the ground running’ this summer: ‘They understand what it’s gonna take’

‘The energy the guys brought into competing in the summer was different than what we’ve had recently,’ said assistant coach Brian Michaelson

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

At some point, whether in the preseason or by the third week of November, the Gonzaga men’s basketball coaching staff is going to have to figure out how it’s going to balance out the rotation for the season.

It’s a good problem to have, but it’s not going to be resolved right away. The Bulldogs return seven of their top eight scorers from last season’s Sweet 16 team and added a handful of talent in the transfer portal. Pepperdine transfer and All-WCC wing Michael Ajayi brings a lot of versatility as a 6-foot-7 forward who can shoot. Arkansas grad transfer Khalif Battle was one of the country’s best scoring guards down the stretch of the Razorbacks’ season. Tarleton State transfer Emmanuel Innocenti is a versatile defender at 6-foot-5 and can slash his way to the rim, while Colgate transfer Braeden Smith does a little bit of everything well at the point guard spot. 

There’s a lot to sort out for Mark Few and company over the next few months. While Few has been with Team USA this summer, assistant coach Brian Michaelson and the rest of the staff have taken on greater responsibilities in leading a majority of the summer practices, which have been anything but dull.

“We were able to really mix up the teams and have super-competitive practices and scrimmages,” Michaelson said. “Every [scrimmage] basically coming down to the last possession or two, a majority down to the last possession.”

The immense depth has a lot to do with those scrimmages coming down to the wire, because no matter how Michaelson and the staff drew it up, both practice squads seemed balanced.

“If you put Ryan [Nembhard] and Nolan [Hickman] together, I mean, the other team had Braeden Smith and [Battle] ... there's no advantage either way there,” Michaelson said. “Or vice versa, you put Braeden Smith and Nolan together, well, other teams got Ryan and KB. Same inside, you put Graham [Ike] on one team, well, they got B-Huff on the other.”

Battle, who has played over 100 games in his five-year college basketball career, brings a lot of experience to the table. The 6-foot-5 guard was an electric scorer for the Razorbacks, as he averaged 29.6 points over the team’s final six games. His shot creation and scoring were two skillsets that the coaching staff wanted in order to diversify the roster makeup, but Battle has already shown he’s much more capable than just putting the ball in the basket.

“He’s different than what we’ve had,” Michaelson said. “He can really create his own shot, he’s really good with the ball in his hands. He’s dynamic and I think where I was most impressed with was how unselfish he was. He really, really passed the ball this summer and had a really good feel for moving it. 

“I think he was honest and knows that he wants to, and needs to, grow as a defender. So his willingness at this point in his career — gonna be a sixth-year guy, scored a ton of points — to come in and want to make plays, want to grow as a defender were really, really impressive to me.”

Fans will have to wait another season until Smith, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, can officially suit up and take over the lead guard role. Taking a redshirt year wasn’t Smith’s first idea when he decided to commit to Gonzaga, as he could’ve earned significant playing time on a power conference team instead. He respected Gonzaga’s track record of developing players over the course of their careers, though, and it appears he’ll be in line to have a major role for the Zags as a redshirt junior in 2025.

“He’s going to be a really, really good leader,” Michaelson said of Smith. “I saw his voice grow as a leader and I think he’s got a real gift for leadership, which is important at the point guard position, and I think we’re gonna see that when he hits the floor.”

Including Ajayi, who Michaelson said has “an infectious personality that just made the gym better every day,” Gonzaga’s newcomers have embraced the program’s competitive environment and the expectations that come with it.

“Kind of in their own unique way, I thought they really contributed this summer and really hit the ground running,” Michaelson said. “They understand what it’s gonna take at this level.”

Michaelson shared more insights from Gonzaga’s summer practices on a new episode of Gonzaga Nation.

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE BELOW:

Produced by Thomas Gallagher.

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