Gonzaga Basketball returns for a new season after making a run to the Elite Eight with a bare cupboard. The Bulldogs return just three players from last year’s 31-6 squad that earned a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament and swept the WCC regular season and conference tournament championships this season. Now, they’ll need to show they can reload and regroup while replacing virtually their entire production from a season ago.
Gonzaga welcomes three players as acquisitions out of the transfer portal and potentially five new freshmen as they look to remain a national title contender this upcoming season. The most notable name out of the portal for them is Ryan Nembhard (Creighton). He’s the younger brother of Andrew Nembhard (2019-22) and much like his brother, he’ll look to finish up his college basketball legacy with the Bulldogs.
On the interior, Gonzaga hopes former Wyoming standout Graham Ike can make a name for himself in the frontcourt. Ike missed all of the 2022-23 season with a leg injury and looks to return to form. There’s certainly room in the painted area for him to grow with the departure of Drew Timme.
It’s possible things could look entirely different for Mark Few and company after possessing the No. 1 scoring offense this past season. It helps that Anton Watson, Nolan Hickman, and Ben Gregg all return with experience but they’ll need to put their new talent together rather quickly. The Bulldogs are slated to participate in the Maui Invitational and the Battle 4 Atlantis as part of their non-conference schedule already.
This season could be Coach Few’s most challenging yet! Check out an early analysis of Gonzaga basketball’s projected starting rotation and depth chart for 2023-24.
Point Guard
Starter – Ryan Nembhard (28 mpg)
Ryan Nembhard joins the Gonzaga backcourt at the point guard looking to keep the family success going. He put up 12.1 ppg, 4.8 apg and 3.0 rpg on 35.6 percent shooting from deep and 43.2 percent shooting from the field with the Bluejays in 2022-23. He won the 2021-22 Big East Rookie of the Year in his debut season with Creighton. He brings his gritty experience from the Big East to the WCC. He’s capable of running the show as he’s shown and brings them a “veteran” leader that can find his own offense.
While Nembhard played in 34.0 mpg in his first two seasons at Creighton, look for that number to shrink given the potential depth at backcourt this team possesses. It’d be difficult for head coach Mark Few to not play the talented guards they have.
Bench – Luka Krajnovic (12 mpg)
Luka Krajnovic brings the Bulldogs a ton of international experience to the backcourt. He was last year’s Croatia’s A1 Liga Most Improved Player of the Year and second-team All-League after putting up 17.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.6 apg and 1.0 spg while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor and 35.4 percent from behind the arc with KK Bosco Zagreb. He’s capable of operating at either guard role. Look for Krajnovic to get the bulk of his minutes at the point guard role given his international experience as a scorer and ballhandler.
Shooting Guard
Starter – Nolan Hickman (28 mpg)
Nolan Hickman is the first returner for Gonzaga who should see his role grow in 2023-24. He put up 7.7 ppg, 3.1 apg, 2.4 rpg and 1.0 spg across 37 appearances, 36 starts, in 2022-23. Hickman can score and distribute the ball given he shot 42 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from the perimeter. He holds the potential to be quite the star in their up-tempo offense given his prowess for shooting the ball.
He shot just 6.9 field goals behind the likes of Drew Timme, Rasir Bolton and Julian Strawther running the show this past season. Look for that number to grow as should the rest of his production as more of a focal point in a revamped offense as he shares the guard duties with Ryan Nembhard.
Bench – Dusty Stromer (12 mpg)
Dusty Stromer is another freshman newcomer who should see some early minutes in the backcourt for Gonzaga. He’s a threat at 6-foot-6 who isn’t afraid to dial it up from deep and is a nightmare on the perimeter. He knocked down 89 3-pointers while averaging 17.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 apg and 1.2 spg his final season of high school ball at Sherman Oaks (CA). Look for him to carve out a role for himself off the bench with his shooting prowess.
Small Forward/Wing
Starter – Steele Venters (29 mpg)
Steele Venters is another new face out of the transfer portal that should make an impact right away with Gonzaga. Venters joins the WCC from the Big Sky’s Eastern Washington Eagles where he spent the past four seasons. He was the Big Sky Player of the Year this past season, putting up 15.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 1.5 apg on 37.1 percent shooting from deep and 45.7 percent shooting from the field as Eastern Washington took home the regular season conference title.
Venters is capable of knocking down 3-pointers with efficiency. He led the Big Sky in 3-point field goal percentage (43.4 percent) in 2021-22. He’s an active presence on the wing that can knock down shots in rhythm. He’ll look to bring a similar presence to a rotation in need of star power with some key departures.
Bench – Jun Seok Yeo (11 mpg)
Jun Seok Yeo is another international prospect out of South Korea set to make his debut with the Bulldogs in 2023-24. He’s a 6-foot-8 prospect that’s already gotten some practice under his belt given he’s been with the team since this past January. He’s a threat from the perimeter who also isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty on the boards. With his double-double mindset, he’s capable of cracking the starting rotation at the 3-spot.
Power Forward
Starter – Anton Watson (30 mpg)
Anton Watson is another returner to the Gonzaga rotation who should turn into a solid contributor in his final season. He returns as the leading scorer with what’s left after posting 11.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.4 apg and 1.8 spg in 2022-23. He gives the Bulldogs a veteran presence in the frontcourt to rely on who’s capable of operating inside and out.
He was an All-WCC Tournament selection after he really came on late in the season with 14.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.0 apg and 1.5 bpg on 54.5 percent shooting from the floor. His versatility as a two-way presence is something they’ll rely heavily upon along with Hickman’s growing role for continued success.
Bench – Ben Gregg (10 mpg)
Ben Gregg is another returner who should play a ton of reserve minutes at both the 4 and 5 positions for Gonzaga this season. He appeared in 36 contests, averaging 5.1 ppg and 3.0 rpg on 50.4 percent shooting from the floor this past season for Gonzaga. He’s capable of stretching the floor on the perimeter with his size at 6-foot-10 after shooting 37.7 percent from deep in 2022-23. He’s another veteran presence that could play a strong role off the bench this season.
Center/Forward
Starter – Graham Ike (30 mpg)
Graham Ike is another potential star in the making from the MWC looking to make a splash in the Gonzaga frontcourt at the center/forward spot. The 6-foot-9 big man sat out the 2022-23 season at Wyoming with a leg injury before hitting the portal and heading for Spokane. During his last full season of action (2021-22), he put up 19.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 1.3 apg on 51 percent shooting from the field.
He’s a talented post presence who’s shown he’s capable of scoring in bunches with efficiency around the rim. He’s also good at creating fouls in traffic and knocking down his free throws. He shot 71.6 percent from the free-throw line and snagged 14 double-doubles across 33 appearances during that season. He’ll look to return to form while replacing Drew Timme at the 5-spot, though he brings a different dynamic.
Bench – Ben Gregg (10 mpg)
Gregg emerges as a potential name at the backup center role. He’s certainly capable of being an anchor with his size at 6-foot-10. His block total increased from just eight in 2021-22 to 24 in 2022-23, a career-high.
With an opportunity to play more minutes at the reserve anchor spot, look for his block total to increase a bit more as his usage grows off the bench in 2023-24.