4-star combo guard and Gonzaga recruiting target commits to WCC rival

The Gonzaga Bulldogs and Saint Mary's Gaels have had plenty of high-level battles on the court over the past 20 years, but not nearly as many out on the recruiting trail.

However, this summer the Zags and Gaels battled it out for 4-star combo guard JRob Croy, a battle that was won by Randy Bennett and the Gaels after Croy announced his commitment to Saint Mary's on Wednesday.

Croy, ranked No. 106 in the 2026 class at 247Sports, chose the Gaels after going on an official visit to Moraga in August. He was previously set to take an official visit to Gonzaga on Sep. 12 and Texas A&M on Sep. 5, and had previously visited Stanford as well.

Croy is from Riverside, CA, and has familial ties to Saint Mary's. His mother played for the Gaels while his father was an assistant coach under coach Bennett from 2010-2013 before taking the head coach position at Cal Baptist, which he's held for the past 12 years.

"I just felt a really deep connection with the coaches and the players," Croy told Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports. "With my ties to the program, I felt at home. I like the thought of living in Moraga and having the opportunity to do something special at a place where I have great history."

Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett cheers on the court after leading the Gaels to a road victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Spokane. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

The 6'5 combo guard emerged as a strong recruiting target for Gonzaga after shooting over 40% from three on the spring AAU circuit. However, interest really shot up around the country when Croy started to show more playmaking skills, giving him more projected versatility at the next level.

Croy was Gonzaga's top combo guard priority, but the staff still has plenty of targets expected to be on campus for official visits over the next two months.

4-star forward Ethan Harris will make the trip from Camas, WA, to Spokane for an official visit Sep. 9-11. Then the Zags will bring a pair of 4-star recruits, center Sam Funches and wing Herly Brutus, to campus for Kraziness in the Kennel on Oct. 4.

𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦: JRob Croy, the No. 106 overall recruit in the national 2026 class, tells @247Sports he has committed to Saint Mary's.

"My goal is to come in, raise expectations, and make a Final Four." - @jrobcroy_1

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 https://t.co/KO4y4DWpR0 pic.twitter.com/NPkDmo4roI
— Brandon Jenkins (@BJenkins247) September 3, 2025

4-star guard and elite shooter Luca Foster is set to be in Spokane Oct. 11-13, followed by 5-star wing Cameron Holmes on Nov. 8 for Gonzaga's game against Oklahoma at the Spokane Arena.

Gonzaga has also been in contact with 5-star forwards Tyran Stokes and Baba Oladotun, as well as 4-star guard Ikenna Alozie and 4-star wings Anthony Felesi and Bo Ogden.

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