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Gonzaga commit Sam Funches invited to USA Basketball U18 training camp

Funches is one of three freshmen set to join Gonzaga in upcoming 2026-27 season
Andy Patton|
Recruit Sam Funches and his family watch Gonzaga’s Kraziness in the Kennel at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
Recruit Sam Funches and his family watch Gonzaga’s Kraziness in the Kennel at the McCarthey Athletic Center. | Photo by Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI

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Gonzaga Bulldogs

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have one of the strongest recruiting classes in program history set to join the team in 2026-27.

While German guard Jack Kayil has garnered most of the attention - especially now that he has legitimate NBA buzz around him - the team's two domestic recruits, 6'5 wing Luca Foster and 7'0 center Sam Funches, have very bright futures as well.

Funches was one of 35 players invited to take part in Team USA's U18 training camp later this month, giving the big man a chance to earn a spot on the 12-man roster which will compete at the 2026 U18 AmeriCup June 1-7 in Leon, Mexico.

Training camp takes place May 21-23 in Colorado Springs, CO, giving Funches a chance to work out with a litany of high profile coaches who will be in attendance - including Michigan's Dusty May, Missouri's Dennis Gates, Alabama's Nate Oats, and head coach Anthony Grant from Dayton.

More on Funches

Funches is a 4-star center from Germantown, Mississippi who won the Mr. Basketball award in the state of Mississippi as a senior this past year. He is currently ranked No. 90 in the 2026 class at 247Sports, and chose Gonzaga over his home programs Ole Miss and Mississippi State, as well as Kansas, LSU, Cal, and Vanderbilt, among others.

The big man boasts a ridiculous 7'5 wingspan and projects as a high level rim protector and two way contributor in his prime. He's a big of a project right now, which works great for Gonzaga as they can rely on newcomer Massamba Diop and returner Braden Huff in the frontcourt, with redshirt freshman Parker Jefferson in line for backup duties as of now.

Funches likely won't be the most impactful freshman on this team in 2026-27, but his upside is sky-high and Gonzaga's track record of developing big men speaks for itself.

Other Gonzaga Targets

Funches is the lone Zag commit set to participate at training camp, but a trio of Gonzaga targets in the 2027 class - Jalen Davis, DeMarcus Henry, and Darius Wabbington - have been invited as well.

Davis is a 6'3 guard from Bremerton, WA who ranks No. 14 in the 2027 class. Gonzaga is among his 15+ offers thus far, with Washington, Oregon, Houston, UCLA, and USC strongly in the mix as well.

Henry is a 6'7 wing who plays at Compass Prep in Arizona, where Davis Fogle spent his senior year of high school. Henry is No. 11 in the 247Sports class rankings, and has offers from Arizona State, BYU, Oregon, Cincinnati, Washington, and Ohio State - where two of his siblings currently attend.

Wabbington is a 6'11 center from Phoenix who ranks No. 16 in the class. Washington had the big man on campus for a visit last fall, and Arizona, Purdue, Texas, and USC join Gonzaga in pursuit of the third ranked center in the class.

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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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