5 reasons to already be excited for Gonzaga basketball in 2026-27

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs failed to make the Sweet 16 for a second consecutive season, falling to the No. 11 seed Texas Longhorns in the Round of 32. It was a disappointing end to a phenomenal - albeit frustrating - campaign for the Zags, who finished 31-4 despite never really finding their groove offensively after star forward Braden Huff suffered a season-ending knee injury.

But now attention turns to 2026-27, where Gonzaga will have a very new look, and a much younger roster, and will compete against a new slate of teams in the Pac-12.

There's plenty of excitement already about next season for Gonzaga in Spokane, and below is a look at five reasons why the buzz is palpable around this program:

1. New Conference, who dis?

The most exciting change hitting Gonzaga basketball next season is conference realignment. After 40+ years in the WCC, the Zags will join the new look Pac-12 in 2026-27, alongside longtime members Oregon State and Washington State, newcomer Texas State, and five departing members of the Mountain West: San Diego State, Colorado State, Utah State, Boise State, and Fresno State.

The move will be a key storyline all season long. It gives Gonzaga a few more non-conference games to schedule - since league play will feature just 16 games - and puts the Zags in new cities and new arenas all year long. Matchups against San Diego State at Viejas Arena will become legendary, and trips out to Fort Collins, San Marcos, Logan, and Fresno will be new territory for the staff and fanbase.

Plus, coach Few will finally square off against his longtime friend and former assistant coach, Leon Rice, who is coaching at Boise State and recently hired Few's oldest son, AJ, as a staff member.

2. Healthy Braden Huff

Everything fans thought would happen with Braden Huff entering the starting lineup happened for Gonzaga last season...until his injury.

The 6'10 redshirt junior paired flawlessly with Graham Ike in a starting role, averaging 17.8 points on 69.7% shooting on two pointers, using his soft touch around the rim and patented push shot floater on the short roll to completely flummox opposing defenses.

However, Huff suffered a knee injury on Jan. 14 and missed the rest of the season, which curtailed Gonzaga's title hopes and left fans wondering 'what-if'.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff. | Photo by Erik Smith

The big man will have a huge role once more in 2026-27, with Gonzaga on the hunt for someone to pair with him in the frontcourt following Ike's departure. Huff could easily approach 20 points per game next year and will be among the highest scoring and most efficient players in the country.

3. Sophomore studs

Gonzaga had two tremendous freshmen on the roster in 2025-26, and both could be primed for even bigger breakouts this upcoming season.

Mario Saint-Supery came over from Spain in late June, but only spent a few weeks in Spokane before heading back overseas to represent his home country on a national stage at EuroBasket. The lack of training time with his Gonzaga teammates and coaches - combined with the natural learning curve that comes with transitioning from EuroLeague to college basketball - led to Saint-Supery struggling early on in his freshman year.

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery (17). | Photo by Myk Crawford

However, the 6'3 point guard found his groove as the year went on, averaging 9.4 points, 3.4 assists, and just 1.4 turnovers in the final 19 games of the season, while shooting 36.4% from three and 88.9% from the free throw line. He'll be Gonzaga's starting PG next year and could be one of the biggest breakout stars in all of college basketball.

The same can be said for Fogle, who went from a seldom-used freshman who shone during garbage time to a key cog in Gonzaga's offense in the NCAA Tournament. The 6'7 wing is a gifted scorer with extreme confidence, who improved dramatically on the defensive end of the floor. With Jalen Warley, Tyon Grant-Foster, and Adam Miller all out the door, Fogle should step into a starting role in 2026-27 and has all the makings of a 15-20 point per game scorer on the wing - and should be one of the more fun players to watch next season in all of college hoops.

4. Freshman phenoms

Gonzaga was among the oldest teams in college basketball last year, but a youth movement is fully on for 2026-27. Not only will sophomores Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Supery be stalwarts on the floor for the Zags, but they have among the best incoming freshmen classes in the country.

6'5 guard Jack Kayil from Germany hopes to be next in a long line of successful international guards at Gonzaga, including Saint-Supery, Joel Ayayi, and Kevin Pangos. The combo guard can get downhill, shoot from the perimeter, and at 20 years old already has experience playing against much older competition in Germany's top league.

Luca Foster is Gonzaga's other backcourt addition, a 6'5 wing and four-star recruit who currently ranks No. 39 in the 2026 class at 247Sports. Foster picked Gonzaga over Villanova, Michigan, and Oregon - among others - and with a 6'9 wingspan and a 39% rate from beyond the arc, he offers a lot of what this team really needs on next year's roster.

Luca Foster attends Gonzaga’s game against Northwest at the McCarthey Athletic Center. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Finally, there's Sam Funches, a 7'0 center from Mississippi who ranked No. 89 in the latest update at 247Sports. Funches has a 7'5 wingspan and is a gifted shot blocker with a developing offensive game. Named Mr. Basketball in the state of Mississippi, Funches will be the latest project in Gonzaga's very successful big man developmental program, and could be a household name before his time in Spokane is up.

5. Parker Jefferson's debut

Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Supery were the prizes of Gonzaga's 2025 recruiting class, but the third member could really turn some heads in 2026-27.

Parker Jefferson, a 6'9 forward from Texas, was a late addition to Gonzaga's roster after he committed to the program in May. He initially committed to Minnesota in the Big Ten but backed out after a coaching change, opening up the door for the Zags to swoop in and bring him to Spokane.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Parker Jefferson (32). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Jefferson redshirted his first season with Gonzaga, working behind the scenes with the coaching staff to improve his game and adjust to the speed and tenor of college basketball. Getting to learn from and compete against Graham Ike and Braden Huff all year long was no doubt hugely beneficial for the big man, who grew up rooting for former Zag Drew Timme while in Texas.

Jefferson also got to learn how to handle a redshirt year from Huff, who redshirted his first season in Spokane before immediately stepping into a huge role as a high-scoring big man off the bench back in 2023-24. If Jefferson can have even close to that kind of impact for the Zags in 2026-27, the ceiling for this team gets quite a bit higher.