What’s next for Gonzaga after Skylar Wicks is cleared to play?

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs landed their fifth transfer of the offseason - and third in the month of August - on Monday after Skylar Wicks had his eligibility waiver approved by the NCAA for the 2026-27 season.

Wicks is now set to join a backcourt rotation that looks far different than it did when he first committed to the program in late June. Gone is Mario Saint-Supery, the team's presumed starting point guard, who left unexpectedly to sign a multiyear deal with Valencia in Spain.

However, a handful of successful lawsuits against the NCAA made multiple seniors eligible for a fifth year, and Gonzaga went out and nabbed a pair of star players in Dayton point guard Javon Bennett and Florida State forward Chauncey Wiggins.

Both figure to play significant roles this upcoming season, changing the potential role for Wicks as he comes over from St. Francis in the NEC, where he averaged 17.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 36.6% from three.

How exactly coach Few's rotation shakes out is impossible to determine at this point, with two players still in eligibility limbo and at least one roster spot likely going to a starting-caliber point guard - with the team targeting UCLA guard Donovan Dent and Florida guard Xaivian Lee, among others.

Below is a look at the next steps for Gonzaga this offseason and what it means for the team's ceiling as they join the Pac-12 in 2026-27:

One more piece to the backcourt

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's no secret Gonzaga is still looking for a starting point guard to join a lineup that includes Davis Fogle, Wiggins, Braden Huff, and Massamba Diop.

Bennett is a more-than-capable fill-in after averaging 15.8 points last year at Dayton, but he's best served as a change-of-pace guard off the bench. What this team is after is a pass-first facilitator who can break down a defense, navigate a pick-and-roll, and get easy scoring opportunities for the rest of the starting lineup.

Dent emerged as the team's top target as soon as he revealed his plan to return for a fifth year, and it's not hard to see why after the 6'2 guard averaged 7.6 assists last year for the Bruins in the Big Ten.

Meanwhile, Lee is a bigger, better defensive guard who also slung the ball extremely well in a power conference last year, averaging 4.2 assists for the Gators.

Either would instantly boost Gonzaga into national championship contention, and right now, ensuring one of these guys is in a Zag uniform next season is the team's top priority.

Two eligibility questions remain

Feb 18, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Team ELY guard Trevelin Queen (21) of the Osceola Magic shoots the ball defended by Team BallIsLife forward Izan Almansa (33) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

If Gonzaga does land one of Dent or Lee, they will have a full roster - assuming the two international commitments in eligibility limbo end up getting cleared.

The lack of clarity on both Nathan de Sousa, a 23-year-old French guard, and Izan Almansa, a 21-year-old Spanish forward, remains a big question mark for this Gonzaga squad.

The NCAA's new five-in-five rules say that an international player has five seasons to compete in college, starting the season after they turn 19. That means de Sousa has one more year, and Almansa three more years, although the situation is more complicated than that.

The NCAA is attempting to crack down on professionals coming stateside to play college hoops, which is what concerns them about these two players. de Sousa spent three seasons in Betclic Elite in France - the same league Ben Gregg currently plays in - while Almansa has even more experience, with time spent in the NBA G-League, the NBL in Australia, and with Real Madrid in Spain's Liga Endesa.

While de Sousa seems more likely to get cleared, it's entirely fair to wonder if he'll even end up in Spokane anyway. Assuming the team does get another PG to pair with Bennett, de Sousa might not want to spend his lone season of college basketball as a third-string point guard. He could opt to find a different home in college hoops, or could opt to stay in France and continue his pro career.

Almansa is a player Gonzaga desperately wants for his rebounding prowess, but his multiple different professional stops could result in the big man not getting cleared and having to return to Europe.

Should that happen, expect Gonzaga to head back out into the fifth-year senior market to look for a touch, physical rebounding big man who is willing to come to Spokane for a third big role behind Diop and Huff.

And if de Sousa doesn't end up in Spokane, Gonzaga could use that roster spot to pursue another third-string point guard as well.

Gonzaga's ceiling as a national championship-caliber program hinges on an elite point guard addition and the eligibility of Almansa. If both those things come together, coach Few will have a real shot at making his third Final Four in 2027.

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