Virginia transfer Jalen Warley on Gonzaga visit: ‘I’m really liking it’

Warley was in attendance for the Bulldogs' nonconference game against UMass-Lowell

Virginia basketball transfer Jalen Warley. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

There are times throughout the college basketball season when the Gonzaga Bulldogs reserve a front-row seat for a highly-touted recruit to come to experience the sights and sounds of a home game at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Friday night's matchup against UMass-Lowell was one of those instances where Mark Few and company had a special guest in attendance, though this visitor has been around the game more than any high school prospect who's attended a Bulldogs game during their official visit.

After three seasons at Florida State and a few brief months at Virginia, 6-foot-7 senior Jalen Warley is in Spokane this weekend as he looks for a new school following Tony Bennett's surprising retirement last month. Warley had the best seat in the house for the Zags' nonleague matchup against the River Hawks, as he took in all The Kennel had to offer from his spot along the baseline closest to the home team's bench.

"I'm really liking it," Warley said. "It feels like a great community that supports the basketball program with some really great people. I'm enjoying my time on campus and looking forward to the game today."

Warley added that he values winning, team culture and "a program that really values the right things."

As a junior with the Seminoles in 2023-24, Warley put up 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 33 games, including 32 starts. He finished in the top 20 in the ACC in total steals (42) and steals per game (1.3). Though Philadelphia is known more for his toughness on defense, he recorded three straight games with 10 or more points and had a 23-point outing against Louisville in February.

Warley transferred to Virginia after spending three seasons in Tallahassee, Florida, where he briefly crossed paths with current Gonzaga assistant coach, R-Jay Barsh. Warley was a sophomore when Barsh was an assistant coach on Leonard Hamilton's staff in 2022-23. Warley finished in the top 20 in the ACC in total steals (41, 17th) and assists (105, 18th) that season.

Though he doesn't plan on suiting up this season, a commitment from Warley would help toward building next season's roster, especially after Gonzaga's current six seniors graduate this spring. That includes the five starters plus 6-foot-7 wing Michael Ajayi, who came off the bench in the Bulldogs' wins over Baylor and Arizona State. Colgate transfer Braden Smith took a redshirt upon joining the Bulldogs this offseason and will likely play a crucial role in 2025-26.

According to Jon Rothstein, Warley will visit Iowa State on Sunday and has plans on visiting Texas A&M.

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