Gonzaga commit Jack Kayil named top-50 prospect for 2026 NBA Draft

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have long succeeded at prying international talent from overseas and developing them into stars in Spokane. From Ronny Turiaf to Killian Tillie, Joel Ayayi to Domantas Sabonis, and Elias Harris to Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga's history of success is rooted in international stardom.

That trend continued even after Tommy Lloyd - Gonzaga's primary international recruiter, left Spokane to take over as the head coach at Arizona in 2021-22.

Last year's team was anchored down the stretch in large part by Spanish guard Mario Saint-Supery, who is back for his sophomore season and expected to team up with another international guard in the backcourt.

Jack Kayil, a 6'5 combo guard from Germany, committed to the Zags back in early October, while keeping the option open to head straight to the NBA. On Friday the 20-year-old put his name in the NBA draft, and he will have until June 13 at 2:00 PM PT to withdraw from the draft and cement his spot with the Zags in 2026-27.

While the expectation remains that Kayil will suit up for Gonzaga alongside Saint-Supery, sophomores Davis Fogle and Isiah Harwell, and senior Braden Huff, there is still a chance he ends up going straight to the NBA after turning heads during his successful season playing for Alba Berlin in The Bundesliga, Germany's top professional league.

A recently updated Top 100 big board from Jeremy Woo of ESPN put Kayil squarely in the draft range, slotting him in at No. 48, one spot behind Cincinnati forward Baba Miller and ahead of college stars like Richie Saunders (BYU), Emanuel Sharp (Houston), and Tyler Bilodeau (UCLA).

Kayil's Draft Profile

It's not hard to see why Kayil might appeal to NBA front offices. At 6'5 he has the requisite size to play both on and off the ball, and his experience playing against players a decade older than him will help him adjust right away to a higher level.

As one of the youngest players in the Bundesliga, Kayil is currently averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting a stellar 34.1% from three and 75.5% from the free throw line.

The big guard has shown flashes as an outside shooter, facilitator in the pick and roll, and is adept at getting downhill and finishing through contact. He still has areas of his game to improve, however, and that is how most expect his experience in the draft process will go.

Whether he gets invited to the NBA draft combine or not, Kayil will get valuable feedback from NBA scouts, coaches, and execs which he can then take with him to Spokane to work on during the 2026-27 season, while helping to lead Gonzaga to success in the first season of the new look Pac-12.

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