3 things Davis Fogle must improve to take Gonzaga to the next level

There's a reason everyone who covers college basketball is predicting a sophomore breakout season for Gonzaga Bulldogs wing Davis Fogle.

Fogle was incredibly impressive as a freshman, beginning the season outside coach Mark Few's rotation before forcing his way into a regular role thanks to elite offensive efficiency and confidence shooting the rock.

Now Fogle is one of two key returners, alongside senior forward Braden Huff, and is widely expected to be Gonzaga's No. 2 scoring option after averaging 8.6 points on 51.8% shooting in 16.7 minutes per game last season.

The Zags may have lost 12 players from last year's team, but the staff did a great job landing a stable of key reinforcements, including early transfer portal additions Massamba Diop and Isiah Harwell, and far later adds Chauncey Wiggins, Javon Bennett, and Skylar Wicks.

But this team's ceiling will be determined by how much growth and development Fogle can show between year one and year two. And considering how dramatically he improved during his freshman season, the potential for an explosive sophomore year is certainly there for the 6'7 wing.

Here are three key areas Fogle must improve in order to reach his potential next year, while elevating Gonzaga into national title contenders.

1. Become a more complete playmaker

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Davis Fogle (4). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Fogle showed off his innate scoring ability right away last year, finishing in double figures in two of his first three games and averaging an absurd 7.7 points in 8.7 minutes through December, while shooting 60.5% on twos and 55.6% from three.

The calls for Fogle to earn more playing time reached deafening levels at this point, but Few remained hesitant - wanting to see more from the freshman as a connector on the wing, not just someone who can score in isolation.

It was a fair critique, as Fogle had just four assists and five turnovers in his first ten games, primarily coming into contests and hunting his own shot without showing that he could operate within the scope of Gonzaga's offense.

That improved rather dramatically in the second half of the season, with Fogle posting 36 assists and just 15 turnovers in his final 20 games. Continued growth as a distributor will be a critical part of his role as a sophomore.

Currently, Gonzaga rosters Dayton transfer Javon Bennett at point guard, with top targets Donovan Dent and Xaivian Lee still pursuing a legal avenue to eligibility next season. Should the Zags land either of them, they would be set at PG, but if not, Fogle may end up taking on ball reps - a role he held early in his high school career.

Regardless of how much he's asked to play point, Fogle's ability to make the right read with the basketball and break down a defense will be instrumental to his and the team's success in 2026-27.

2. Become a more consistent 3-point shooter

Fogle's offensive game looked incredibly advanced for a freshman last year, but one area where he struggled with consistency was as an outside shooter.

Early on, when most of his minutes were coming against second and third stringers at Texas Southern, Southern Utah, and other low major programs, Fogle was excellent from the perimeter - hitting five of his first nine attempts from the three-point line.

Then he hit a wall from the outside, shooting 9-31 (29%) in his final 20 games, never making more than one per game and going 1-5 combined in two NCAA Tournament contests.

He relied on his ability to get to the rim and his incredibly strong mid-range game to succeed last year, but in order to become a truly three-dimensional offensive weapon, the 6'7 wing will need to consistently knock down open threes.

Gonzaga bolstered their perimeter scoring in a major way with the additions of Bennett and Florida State transfer Chauncey Wiggins, but for this team to hit their ceiling, Fogle will need to shoot a far higher volume than his 40 attempts last year, and ideally would improve on his modest 35% clip as well.

3. Take another step defensively

It's hard to say what the most impressive thing was about Fogle's freshman year. Most will say his relentless attacking offensively or his confidence in the mid-range, but how dramatically he improved on the defensive side of the floor is up there as well.

The 6'7 wing was asked to play some small-ball four late in the season after Huff's season-ending injury and with Jalen Warley suffering from a thigh bruise. Fogle also spent some time at the two in various lineups and will be asked to play all of those roles - and potentially more - as a sophomore in 2026-27.

Fogle learned how to use his length to alter shots on the perimeter and showcased very active hands in the passing lanes, which led to him posting a 2.4% steal and 3.4% block rate - figures that ranked fourth and third among GU's rotation players last year, respectively.

However, improvement can always occur on defense, and Fogle will need to get better on the ball next year, with Gonzaga losing star perimeter defenders Warley, Tyon Grant-Foster, and Emmanuel Innocenti. Massamba Diop will help erase a lot of mistakes at the rim, but if Fogle can take the leap defensively, it will make this team far more dangerous on that end of the floor.

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