3 international sophomores Gonzaga should pursue out of the transfer portal

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have long succeeded at recruiting internationally, dating back 20+ years with the likes of Ronny Turiaf and JP Batista, and culminating in the team's current roster, which features Mario Saint-Supery (Spain) and Jack Kayil (Germany).

The team has leveraged those international connections to pull in talent via the transfer portal as well, none more significant than last month's addition of 7'1 center Massamba Diop from Arizona State, who previously played for Real Madrid in Spain.

Diop was excellent for the Sun Devils last year, but it is well known that players tend to perform better after a year or two in the States. The adjustment from international ball to college hoops is significant, not only from how the game is played stylistically, but also in how it is officiated.

That, combined with a culture shock of moving across the world, often results in players struggling out of the gate before finding their stride in year two.

And in the transfer portal era, it can be advantageous to pursue players who have already endured their first 'culture shock' season in the States - much like the Zags did with Diop.

Could another transfer join Saint-Supery and Diop in having a big second season stateside with Gonzaga? Below is a look at three available transfers who could be in line for sophomore breakouts that the Zags should consider pursuing:

1. Mihailo Petrovic, Guard, Illinois Fighting Illini

Nov 24, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Mihailo Petrovic (77) | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Petrovic is perhaps the highest risk, highest reward international player still available in the portal. The 6'3 Serbian was considered a lock to be an immediate contributor when he joined Illinois ahead of the 2025-26 season.

He played multiple years in some of the top leagues in Europe, culminating in a season where he averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 assists in 28 games with Mega Mozzart in the ABA, while being teammates with incoming Zag Jack Kayil.

However, an early-season injury and the immediate emergence of freshman Keaton Wagler pushed Petrovic onto the fringes of the rotation, and he ultimately never climbed out of that spot - playing 12+ minutes just three times and ultimately averaging 1.6 points and 1.1 assists in 5.7 minutes across 19 games.

Still, at 22 years old and with multiple years of strong performances against older, elite players, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Petrovic break out in year two stateside - and he'd be a fantastic fourth guard for the Zags alongside Saint-Supery, Kayil, and transfer Isiah Harwell.

2. Wei Lin, Guard, Oregon Ducks

Feb 25, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Wei Lin (23) | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Lin is similar to Petrovic - a very solid guard internationally who committed to a Big Ten school and didn't perform as well as expected. For three years Lin completely dominated in China's top league while playing for Nanjing Monkey King. In 2024-25, the 6'4 guard averaged 21 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 41.3% from the field and 34.9% from three.

After three excellent seasons in the CBA, Lin headed stateside to play for Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks and was thrust into a bigger role than anticipated thanks to a season-ending wrist injury for junior guard Jackson Shelstad.

Lin really struggled to adjust early on at Oregon, averaging 3.9 points in 12.7 minutes while shooting an ugly 35.7% on twos and 18.5% (5-27) from three in his first 12 games.

Things improved after that, as Lin finished the year averaging 8.3 points while shooting 44.7% on twos and 33.3% (26-78) from three in his final 18 games, starting eight of them.

As a fourth guard, Lin may not offer the floor spacing Gonzaga obviously needs, but if you buy his shooting will improve - he was consistently above average in China - this ends up being a potential steal late in the transfer portal cycle.

3. Harun Zrno, Forward, Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Feb 15, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Harun Zrno (13) | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

A third straight player from the Big Ten, Zrno is a 6'7 wing who played a large role for the Scarlet Knights as a freshman last year.

The Bosnian native joined Rutgers after a fantastic season with Sarajevo in Bosnia's top league in 2024-25, when he averaged 17.5 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 43.7% from beyond the arc.

While he didn't replicate that success stateside, he did show a strong perimeter shot with a 33.8% mark on 4.5 attempts per game. His 52 makes would have led Gonzaga last year, and there is reason to believe he'll up that mark in Year 2 after he shot 37.7% from distance in his final 17 games with the Knights.

Gonzaga could use more wing depth behind Fogle and freshman Luca Foster, and Zrno would give them a young, high-upside floor spacer who could excel in a specialized role in Spokane.

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