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4-star forward from Washington commits to Big Ten school over Gonzaga

Ethan Harris chose Iowa over Gonzaga, Washington, and Boise State
Andy Patton|
Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few.
Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

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2026 4-star recruit Ethan Harris announced his commitment to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, just a few days after the Camas, WA native completed his official visit with Gonzaga.

The 6'9 forward listed Gonzaga, Iowa, Washington, and Boise State among his top four finalists earlier this month, and took official visits to Washington (Sep. 5-7) and Gonzaga (Sep. 9-11) over the last week. He previously visited Boise State in late June and Iowa in late July.

Harris was ranked No. 123 in the 2026 class in 247Sports' updated rankings, shooting up the list after a strong showing on the PumaNXT summer circuit with Select Basketball. At 6'9, Harris offers a unique blend of athleticism, outside shooting, and strength, which would have fit nicely into Gonzaga's positionless basketball style.

Instead, he'll head to Iowa, becoming the first commitment in the 2026 class for new head coach Ben McCollum. McCollum was hired this offseason to replace longtime coach Fran McCaffery, coming over from Drake, where he was hired after a prolific coaching career at the Division II level.

Harris was the first of five official visits for coach Mark Few over the next few months, and is the first Gonzaga recruiting target in the 2026 class to commit elsewhere after including the Zags on a list of finalists.

Gonzaga's next official visitors will be 4-star center Sam Funches and 4-star wing Herly Brutus, who are each set to arrive on campus Oct. 3 and will be in The Kennel on Saturday, Oct. 4, for Kraziness in the Kennel — which has long been an important recruiting weekend for the Zags.

Funches listed Gonzaga in his top ten back in late July, and has been on the team's radar for well over a year now. Brutus is a much more recent target, but the strong perimeter defender included Gonzaga among his top six finalists earlier this week.

Following Kraziness in the Kennel, Gonzaga is set to host four-star wing Luca Foster — ranked No. 40 in the 2026 class at 247Sports — on Oct. 11. Foster listed Gonzaga in his top nine in early August and is one of the most well-regarded shooters in the entire class.

Finally, 5-star wing Cameron Holmes — No. 30 in the updated class rankings — is scheduled to be in Spokane Nov. 8 for Gonzaga's matchup against Oklahoma at the Spokane Arena. Holmes included Gonzaga in his top six alongside Illinois, Oklahoma, Arizona, Texas, and North Carolina.

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Andy Patton
ANDY PATTON

Andy Patton is a diehard Gonzaga fan and alumnus who has covered the Bulldogs extensively since 2021. He hosts the Locked On Zags podcast and co-hosts the Locked On College Basketball podcast, bringing years of experience covering Gonzaga, the West Coast and college basketball nationally. Andy also covers the Arizona Wildcats for Arizona Wildcats On SI, where his longtime familiarity with former Gonzaga assistant and current Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd provides a natural connection between two of college basketball’s premier programs. Andy has worked in sports media since 2017, with experience covering nearly every major sport. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for USA TODAY from 2017–21, where he also spent time covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and previously served as lead writer for College Sports Wire. He has also covered the NBA, NHL and MLB for various TEGNA outlets, including KREM in Spokane, 12News in Phoenix and KING 5 in Seattle. A 2013 Gonzaga graduate, Andy now lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife, daughter and dog.

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