5 questions that will define Gonzaga basketball's 2026-27 season

Eligibility and health concerns remain significant for coach Few and the Zags

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Erik Smith

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are less than a month away from Kraziness in the Kennel and the official start of the 2026-27 season.

And yet - somehow - the roster is far from complete. Eligibility issues for five of the team's 15 players - Xaivian Lee, Chauncey Wiggins, Javon Bennett, Izan Almansa, and Nathan de Sousa - cloud what was otherwise a successful, albeit frustrating, offseason for this coaching staff as they join the new-look Pac-12 in 2026-27.

How many of those five players, as well as the health of a potential All-American, are among the biggest questions for this Gonzaga program in what will be the first season in the Pac-12 and the first of Few's career post-HOF induction.

1. Will the class of 2022 seniors be eligible this season?

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There has never been this much roster uncertainty for Gonzaga over Labor Day Weekend, and it stems in large part from the ongoing legal battles between the NCAA and the class of 2022, who are hoping to get a fifth year of eligibility after being arbitrarily left out of the new five-in-five rules.

Gonzaga is heavily relying on these players getting - and staying - eligible, with three projected key contributors from this class in Florida transfer guard Xaivian Lee, Florida State transfer forward Chauncey Wiggins, and Dayton transfer guard Javon Bennett.

Currently, Bennett is ineligible after his lawsuit in Ohio was stayed, but both Lee and Wiggins remain eligible - for now.

This has a real chance of switching multiple times over the next few months, and could continue to change into the season - an incredibly challenging situation for Gonzaga and every other coaching staff to deal with in 2026-27.

2. Will Braden Huff stay 100% healthy all season long?

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff. | Photo by Lane Mathews

Braden Huff was in the midst of a breakout season in 2025-26, posting career bests of 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds before suffering a knee injury in mid-January that kept him out for the rest of the year.

Few revealed that Huff is "in great shape" in August while at his Hall of Fame induction, and if the 6'10 big man can avoid aggravating the injury, he'll be among the best players in the entire country.

Gonzaga's offense is built around Huff dominating at the rim, and regardless of what happens at point guard, the senior will be positioned well for an All-American campaign for the Zags.

3. Will Gonzaga's two international commits get eligibility?

Lee, Wiggins, and Bennett are - amazingly - not the only players still in eligibility limbo with the NCAA. 21-year-old Spanish forward Izan Almansa and 23-year-old French guard Nathan de Sousa both committed to Gonzaga early in the summer, but to date neither has been cleared to play this upcoming season.

de Sousa is in Spokane currently, and should have one year remaining based on the new age-based eligibility model for international students.

Almansa's case is trickier, since he signed professional contracts in the NBA G League, the NBL in Australia, and with Real Madrid in Spain.

de Sousa could end up crucial for Gonzaga depending on the eligibility of Lee and Bennett, while Almansa is set to be GU's third big man behind Huff and Massamba Diop, providing toughness and rebounding on the interior.

Having both players significantly raises the floor - and ceiling - of this roster in 2026-27.

4. Can Davis Fogle make the leap?

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

No player has been labeled a clear-cut sophomore breakout candidate more than Davis Fogle this offseason - and for good reason.

The 6'7 wing went from end-of-the-bench garbage time extraordinaire to an incredibly key piece of the rotation - developing at an elite rate as a passer and defender while continuing to show an unbelievable knack for getting to the rim.

Now, with Gonzaga losing Jalen Warley, Tyon Grant-Foster, Emmanuel Innocenti, Adam Miller, and Steele Venters, Fogle is destined to step into a huge role for the Zags, and if he stays efficient while scaling up to a 28-32 minute-per-game role, he could be an All-Pac-12 First Teamer and among the best sophomores in the country.

5. Can coaching staff adjust to new set of conference opponents?

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few (left) with staff members Stephen Gentry (middle) and Josh Therrien (right). | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

For 27 years, Few and his coaching staff have been preparing for matchups against Portland, Pepperdine, San Francisco, Saint Mary's, and the rest of the WCC. Sure, coaches have changed, and programs have undergone significant identity shifts, but it's nothing like going into a season where every single team in the conference is new.

Outside of Oregon State, Washington State, and San Diego State, Few and Gonzaga have very, very little experience dealing with the other coaches, players, and arenas in the Pac-12.

The Zags are still the most talented team in the conference, but if they are not locked in and ready, road trips to Boise, and Logan, and Fort Collins could spell trouble for the Bulldogs in 2027.