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Gonzaga commit Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa selected for France's EuroBasket U20 team

Gonzaga will have a young star play at EuroBasket for the second summer in a row
Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few.
Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Erik Smith

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For the second year in a row, Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs will see an incoming player spend time overseas representing their home country at EuroBasket.

Last year, it was Mario Saint-Supery, who was one of the youngest players ever to play for Spain's Senior National Team. This year it will be French wing Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa, but unlike Saint-Supery, Ekanga-Ehawa is playing for France's U20 roster.

Ekanga-Ehawa is one of four players on the U20 roster who are set to play Division 1 college basketball next season, alongside Timeo Pons (Abilene Christian), Yohann Sissoko (Long Beach State), and Talis Soulhac (Murray State).

This will be Ekanga-Ehawa's first time representing France in 5x5 basketball, although he did earn a silver medal at the 3x3 U17 European Olympic Festival.

More experience for Ekanga-Ehawa

Ekanga-Ehawa is a promising young player joining Gonzaga alongside fellow countrymen Nathan De Sousa for 2026-27. Ekanga-Ehawa is a 6'6 wing who comes over from JL Bourg, where he dominated in U21 club - averaging 19.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game.

He even earned a little time on the senior team and spent some time with Chorale Roanne in France's second division as well. Ekanga-Ehawa was named the Most Improved Player in the Espoirs ELITE league and was even picked to participate in the French Young Star Game.

Now the 18-year-old will get a chance to play against other excellent European teenagers, honing his skills before he arrives on campus for Gonzaga's first season in the new-look Pac-12 in 2026-27.

Fit at Gonzaga

Ekanga-Ehawa is an extremely high upside player, but isn't expected to fill a major role for Gonzaga in his first year. The team is projected to go with a starting lineup featuring sophomores Saint-Supery, Isiah Harwell, Davis Fogle, and Massamba Diop, as well as senior Braden Huff.

De Sousa and St. Francis transfer Skylar Wicks give Gonzaga experienced depth in the backcourt, while incoming freshman Luca Foster is a sharpshooter who could carve out a key role off the bench as well.

That doesn't mean Ekanga-Ehawa will be buried on the bench all season long, however. Fogle wasn't expected to be a rotation player last year and his effortless scoring and improved defense and facilitation helped him earn a spot in GU's rotation by the end of the year - and are a big reason he is considered a major breakout candidate next year.

The FIBA U20 EuroBasket games begin on Saturday, July 11 and run through Sunday, July 19. France opens play on Saturday against Turkey in Slovenia at 6:30 AM PT, and the game will be broadcast on YouTube.

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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.

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