The Next Chapter for Gonzaga Basketball

Looking back on a pair of not-particularly-close season-ending NCAA Tournament losses isn’t going to be any fun, so instead this week’s Kennel Corner will instead look forward… mostly.

We do need to do at least a little bit of looking back, but I’ll keep things brief.

Two months ago, the men’s team was trending toward missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998 — before anyone on the roster was born. What ended up happening instead was something they’ve done in every tournament since 2015: make a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

The transformation from a team that didn’t know how to play with each other into one of the final 16 teams standing is a testament to the resolve of the group and the ability of the coaching staff to adjust during the season.

On the women’s side things ended in the Sweet Sixteen as well, but — unlike the men — it was no surprise that the Zags made it that far.

This was the most impressive season in Gonzaga women’s basketball history. They completed a dominant, undefeated run through West Coast Conference play, pulled off an impressive 18-point upset over No. 3 Stanford and earned the right to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament thanks to securing the best seed in the program’s history.

Looking ahead, the roles seem set to flip next season. The men appear well-positioned for a dominant season, while the women are embarking on a rebuild. 

MEN’S OUTLOOK

A lot can change between now and the start of next season — it’s still this season, after all, until the National Championship game on Monday night — but for now, the Zags men look as well positioned as any team in the country ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Senior forward Anton Watson is the only player of impact who for sure won’t be returning next season, but that’s no surprise as he's out of eligibility. And the Zags have already landed a big name who can step in and help fill Watson’s role.

Last week, 6-foot-7 Pepperdine senior Michael Ajayi committed to play for the Zags next season. The transfer was the WCC’s leading scorer this season, averaging 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

The transfer portal can cut both ways, however.

Last year, Zag fans felt the pain of seeing three potentially impactful players hit the road. Those exits were offset by the joy of landing Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard in late April.

So far, the portal has only been good to the Zags this time around. But that could change.

If the Zags can avoid losing anyone to the portal, the roster next season will look mostly like it did this year, but with a couple of critical additions thrown into the mix.

In addition to Ajayi, the Zags should get a boost from sharpshooter and former Big Sky Player of the Year Steele Venters, who missed all of this season with an ACL injury.

Those two will join a strong core that consists of every rotation player from this season except for Watson. That core took awhile to figure out how it wanted to play together, but by season’s end they were playing effective and cohesive basketball. With another offseason together, they should have no problem hitting the ground running this fall. 

WOMEN’S OUTLOOK

A big reason for the success Gonzaga found this season was the chemistry and experience with the starting five. All the starters were seniors, and three were graduate students.

Getting old has its benefits, but this is college. Eventually, you get too old and have to move on.

That’s what’s happening with at least three of Gonzaga’s starting five. Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong and Brynna Maxwell are all out of college eligibility, while graduate student Eliza Hollingsworth did have one year of eligibility remaining, but decided to enroll in medical school back in her native Australia.

Those four combined to score 59.6 percent of Gonzaga’s total points this season.

Fortunately, one starter will be returning next season — and she just happens to be the team’s best player. Even before Senior Night, Yvonne Ejim announced that she would be taking advantage of her extra season and coming back for a second senior year.

Earlier this week, Ejim was named the Becky Hammon National Player of the Year, an award given to the best player from a mid-major conference program. Not a bad player to have around for one more year.

In addition to Ejim, important rotation players in Maud Huijbens, Calli Stokes and Esther Little are set to return next season. While the Zags are losing a lot of important pieces, the cupboard won’t be bare.

While the Zags will likely look to the transfer portal to bolster their depth, we know there will be some new faces in the form of three incoming freshmen.

Christabel Osarobo is a talented guard who could provide an immediate impact out of England’s Ipswich Basketball Academy. Allie Turner is a sharpshooting guard who can help offset the loss of Gonzaga’s prolific 3-point shooters. And at 6-foot-3, New Zealander Lauren Whittaker brings size and upside to the frontcourt. The Kiwi was one of 38 prospects selected to take part in a NBA/WNBA/FIBA camp for top international female players.

Next season looks to be a rebuilding year for the program, but there is more than enough left to keep things stable as Gonzaga moves on after five years with the Truong twins.