The Gonzaga Bulldogs are headed for another eventful offseason.

There is much less uncertainty compared to this time a year ago. But in the transfer portal era, nothing is set in stone until next season tips off in November.

As it stands in early April, here’s a look at who is slated to suit up for the Zags in 2024-25.

For a relatively new group heading into 2023, the Bulldogs could hit the ground running next fall if the list of returners is as lengthy as projected.

Add in a healthy Steele Venters, a former Big Sky Player of the Year who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, and Gonzaga will likely be in the thick of the preseason top 25 polls once again. A career 40.3% 3-point shooter, the 6-foot-7 Venters could start on the wing depending on how the roster takes form over the next few months. His outside shooting should greatly benefit a Zags team that posted the second-worst 3-point shooting percentage (36.2%) in the Few era.

Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike have a chance to build off the chemistry they developed throughout last season. The duo was hard to stop down the stretch of the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament, particularly when it came to their connection in pick-and-roll situations.

Nolan Hickman has another year under his belt and won’t have the task of adjusting to his role as an off-ball guard like he did a year ago. The 6-foot-2 guard was a team-best 78-of-189 from 3-point range (41.3%) and averaged a career-high 14.0 points. Hickman and Ben Gregg figure to play key roles in the starting lineup once again in 2024 as seniors.

As for some of Gonzaga’s younger pieces, their development over the offseason will be crucial in determining how deep Few’s rotation will be next fall. Braden Huff and Dusty Stromer were solid contributors in different roles, while Luka Krajnovic and Jun Seok Yeo were limited off the bench.

DEPARTURES
F Anton Watson (graduation), F Colby Brooks (transfer portal), F Pavle Stosic (transfer portal)

The Zags wave goodbye to a local icon this offseason when Anton Watson graduates this spring. The Spokane native will go down as one of the program’s winningest and most unselfish players of all time, as his professional approach to the game was evidenced by his defensive capabilities and efficiency on the offensive end of the floor.

Watson finished his Gonzaga career as the only player in program history with over 1,400 points, 700 rebounds and 200 assists. His 215 steals are second behind only John Stockton, while his 21 steals in the NCAA Tournament are the most by a Bulldogs player. Watson is also third in games played (151) and wins (132).

It’s hard to find a player as versatile on both ends of the floor as Watson was for the Zags. There’s no one-for-one replacement for a player of his caliber, but perhaps a group effort can maintain the level of intensity and high basketball IQ that has defined the program in the Few era.

NEWCOMERS
F Michael Ajayi (senior), G Cade Orness (freshman)

Gonzaga’s first acquisition in the transfer portal has already entered his name for NBA Draft consideration, though he has retained his eligibility for next season if he withdraws before June 1.

In the case that the All-WCC wing completes his transition from Malibu, California, to Spokane, the Bulldogs will have quite the talented scorer next season. Ajayi put up 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game as a junior, shot 46.7% from the field and 47.0% from 3-point range (2.5 attempts per game). A capable scorer at all three levels, Ajayi’s skillset is one the Zags didn’t have on the roster last season.

Orness, a 6-foot-5 guard out of North Kitsap (Washington), committed to the Bulldogs as a walk-on for the 2024-25 season.