Skip to main content

3 transfer portal guards Gonzaga could target after Mario Saint-Supery's departure

Gonzaga has two open roster spots following Saint-Supery's return to Spain
Feb 1, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA;  Maryland Terrapins guard Myles Rice (2) dribbles past Purdue Boilermakers guard C.j.c.ox (0) during the second  half at Xfinity Center.
Feb 1, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Myles Rice (2) dribbles past Purdue Boilermakers guard C.j.c.ox (0) during the second half at Xfinity Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In this story:

The Gonzaga Bulldogs already dealt with significant adversity in the backcourt when German guard Jack Kayil opted to stay in the NBA draft back in May, but Saturday was an even bigger blow with the news that sophomore Mario Saint-Supery is headed back to Spain after signing a multi-year deal with Valencia Basket.

The news comes at an extremely inopportune time for Mark Few and the Zags, who now have to find a replacement point guard when nearly all the top options are no longer available.

The transfer portal does still have talented players waiting for a new home, however, and a few that could really help bolster a backcourt that features Houston transfer Isiah Harwell, sophomore Davis Fogle, and three incoming players in 23-year-old Nathan de Sousa, 18-year-old Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa, and 4-star freshman Luca Foster.

Below is a look at three point guards in the transfer portal Gonzaga should consider adding ahead of the 2026-27 season:

Tijan Saine - Weber State Wildcats

Weber State Wildcats guard Tijan Saine Jr. (3)
Nov 8, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Weber State Wildcats guard Tijan Saine Jr. (3) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The best point guard available in the transfer portal - by a considerable margin - is Tijan Saine, a 5'11 high-scorer from Weber State.

Saine is from Everett, WA and played at DII Western Washington before transferring to Weber State for his first year of Division 1 basketball in 2025-26.

He was instantly one of the best players in the Big Sky, averaging 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for the Wildcats while shooting 52.2% on twos, 34.7% from three, and 89.6% from the line. While he's undersized for Gonzaga and the Pac-12, Saine's scoring and ability to space the floor make him an ideal target to give the Zags another experienced ball-handler alongside de Sousa in Spokane.

Myles Rice - Maryland Terrapins

Maryland Terrapins guard Myles Rice (2)
Dec 28, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Myles Rice (2) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Incoming senior Myles Rice is somewhat surprisingly still available in the transfer portal, looking for his fourth home in four years. The 6'2 guard was the Pac-12 Rookie of the Year in 2023-24 at nearby Washington State, averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 steals on a WSU team that made the NCAA Tournament under coach Kyle Smith.

Rice left after Smith departed for Stanford, with the Georgia native landing at Indiana for his sophomore season under coach Mike Woodson. With the Hoosiers, Rice averaged 10.1 points and 2.8 assists, while improving his three point rate from 27.5% to 32.5% in a tough Big Ten conference.

Woodson was canned at the end of the year, so Rice went looking for school number three, staying in the Big Ten and landing at Maryland under Buzz Williams. Injuries and a disastrous Terrapins team limited Rice to just 17 games, and his numbers (5.6 points, 1.3 assists) took a big hit - although he did shoot a career-best 34.4% from the three point line and 92.6% from the free throw line.

Rice isn't a great outside shooter, but he is a good scorer and decent passer who has 84 games of high major college basketball experience under his belt - which at this point in the offseason is more than you can really ask for.

Wei Lin - Oregon Ducks

Oregon Ducks guard Wei Lin (23)
Mar 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Wei Lin (23) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another option out of the Big Ten for Gonzaga is Wei Lin, a 22-year-old guard from China who played for Oregon last season.

Lin was a late addition to Dana Altman's roster who was thrust into a bigger role due to Jackson Shelstad's injury issues. The 6'4 guard appeared in 30 games and made nine starts for the Ducks, averaging 6.6 points and 1.7 assists in 17.6 minutes per game. He shot just 29.5% from three on the year, although he was a more respectable 32.9% in his final 17 games after a brutal start to his first season stateside.

Lin, who was heavily pursued by North Carolina until very recently, starred for Nanjing Monkey King in China from 2022-2025, posting averages of 21 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 2024-25 and 20 points and 4.3 assists with a 38.3% mark from deep in 2023-24.

Whether that can translate into a second year breakout in college hoops remains to be seen, but he'd get a chance to compete for real minutes at point guard with de Sousa in Spokane.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations


Published
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.

Share on XFollow AndyPattonCBB