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Gonzaga Basketball: Depth concerns remain late into 2023 offseason

By Tristan Freeman

Mar 23, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few reacts during a time out against the UCLA Bruins during the first half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few reacts during a time out against the UCLA Bruins during the first half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /
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As of now, Gonzaga Basketball only has 10 players on scholarship entering the 2023-24 season. Can the Bulldogs find a way to add to the roster?

One team that could be viewed as having a “successful” offseason via the transfer portal is Gonzaga Basketball. In a three-week stretch, they landed Creighton starting point guard Ryan Nembhard, former Big Sky Player of the Year wing Steele Venters, and Graham Ike, a transfer center from Wyoming that averaged nearly 20 ppg in his last full year but missed all of last season due to an injury.

Yet despite those successes, the Bulldogs still have several roster spots available. They lost a number via the transfer portal and a few to the NBA Draft, including top-35 pick, Julian Strawther. The latest departure came as a surprise, as four-star prospect forward Alex Toohey decided to return back to Australia and play there.

That leaves 10 scholarship players on the roster. However, the number of those that are both proven and healthy is even smaller. Ike is coming off an injury, as well as backup big man Kaden Perry, who has played just eight games in two years due to back issues. The hope is that both will be ready to go next season. There’s also redshirt freshman forward Braden Huff, incoming international wing Jun Seok Yeo, and Dusty Stromer, a top-50 guard prospect.

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It’s a roster that while talented, has more questions than ever in the Coach Mark Few era. Since the starting lineup is more or less set, it’ll be interesting to see how they round out the bench, which at the moment, is the least proven in recent Gonzaga history. You certainly don’t want to doubt a team that has made the NCAA Tournament for over 20+ straight years but it’ll certainly be interesting to see how it works out as currently constructive.