Will Gonzaga land Paul Mulcahy in the transfer portal? Here are the Zags' top targets
It's mid-June and while most college basketball transfer portal players have already settled on a new home, Gonzaga men's basketball is among a handful of programs scrambling to secure commitments.
With two scholarship spots left on the roster, the Zags have room to bolster a transfer portal class that ranks eighth nationally, according to 247Sports. Gonzaga has signed guard Ryan Nembhard (Creighton), center Graham Ike (Wyoming) and wing Steele Venters (Eastern Washington) this offseason.
Here are the best available players for Gonzaga to target:
PAUL MULCAHY, SENIOR GUARD (RUTGERS)
Paul Mulcahy
Photo by Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen/USA TODAY
With most of the Power Five transfers off the board, Mulcahy's entrance into the portal on June 9 immediately made him one of the most coveted players available.
Mulcahy, who becomes the sixth Rutgers player to test the open market, has one year of college eligibility remaining. He's received interest from Gonzaga, Kentucky, Kansas State, Michigan, West Virginia, Xavier and several more schools.
The 6-foot-7 senior averaged 7.8 points, 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game in three seasons as a starter for the Scarlet Knights. He led Rutgers to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022, which marked the program's first time at the Big Dance since 1991.
While Mulcahy served as his team's primary playmaker, he's also an inside-out scoring threat. His length allows him to finish over smaller guards at the rim, where he attempted 42% of his field goals and connected on 53% last season. He's also developed into a reliable 3-point shooter, sinking 37% on 1.8 attempts per game.
Gonzaga fans will appreciate that Mulcahy is a spirited competitor who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. His tenacity is part of his defensive value, with him being unafraid to use physicality and other antics to limit his opponents. The Scarlet Knights ranked sixth nationally in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency last season.
JORDAN BROWN, JUNIOR FORWARD (LOUISIANA)
Jordan Brown
Photo by Matt Pendleton, USA TODAY Sports
After withdrawing his name from the 2023 NBA Draft, Brown is searching for his fourth school to call home.
Brown split his first two years at Nevada and Arizona, before taking his talents to Louisiana, where he averaged 17.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in two seasons. This past year, he earned the Lou Henson Award, which recognizes the best player in a mid-major conference.
Brown also received All-Sun Belt First Team honors in 2022-23, while helping the Ragin’ Cajuns win the conference championship and reach the NCAA Tournament. Louisiana was eliminated from March Madness by a first-round loss to Tennessee, but Brown still delivered 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds.
The 6-foot-11 forward scored at least 20 points in 15 outings last season, including a 37-point outburst in a win over Louisiana Christian, an NAIA school.
With only a few high-profile big men remaining in the transfer portal, Brown will draw interest from many Power Five and mid-major programs. However, it's unclear which schools have reached out.
ADRAME DIONGUE, FRESHMAN CENTER (WASHINGTON STATE)
Adrame Diongue
Photo by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports
It was only a year ago when Diongue was considered Washington State's prized recruit of the 2022 class.
But after averaging 6.2 minutes per game as a backup center last season, Diongue is looking to expand his role at a new college destination.
An athletic 7-footer with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Diongue has the tools to develop into an elite shot-blocker. He showed promise protecting the paint for the Cougars, registering three blocks each against nationally-ranked UCLA and Arizona.
One area of concern for Diongue is his ability to stay out of foul trouble, which was a struggle for him at various points during his freshman campaign. Diongue picked up at least three fouls on six occasions, despite averaging 10.2 minutes per game in those contests.
Diongue, who was a four-star recruit out of high school, chose the Cougars over Kentucky, Kansas, Texas Tech, UNLV and LSU.
Even after a lackluster season, his choices are just as prestigious. Diongue has heard from Kansas, Alabama, Villanova, Nebraska, LSU and many more since entering the transfer portal on May 12.
