Gonzaga contacts high-scoring ACC freshman guard via transfer portal

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs remain active adding talent via the transfer portal, picking up a pair of big time additions in Houston guard Isiah Harwell and Arizona State center Massamba Diop.

The two transfers join incoming freshmen Jack Kayil, Luca Foster, and Sam Funches as the five newcomers on Gonzaga's roster heading into the new look Pac-12 in 2026-27. With five returners - including projected starters Braden Huff, Mario Saint-Supery, and Davis Fogle - Gonzaga still has five open roster spots to play with, and they have turned their attention to adding another piece to the backcourt.

GU's latest known target is Akai Fleming, a 6'4 guard who played his freshman season at Georgia Tech in the ACC in 2025-26. Fleming's agent, Spencer Pearlman of Verus, reported Fleming has been contacted by Gonzaga as well as Louisville, USC, Oregon, Georgetown, Dayton, among others.

Georgia Tech freshman Akai Fleming has heard from the following programs per @SKPearlman of @VerusTeam

Louisville
USC
Georgetown
Gonzaga
Oregon
Dayton
& more

The former top-60 recruit averaged 10.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 32.9% 3FG. pic.twitter.com/5L4bvYgrtl
— Rising Ballers Network (@dylan_lutey) May 2, 2026

Who is Akai Fleming?

Fleming is a 6'4 guard from Murrieta, GA who played at Overtime Elite in Atlanta out of high school. He was ranked No. 53 in the 2025 class at ESPN, and committed to Damon Stoudamire and Georgia Tech over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Cincinnati, and Indiana.

Fleming came off the bench for his first seven games with the Yellow Jackets, but after scoring in double figures in four of those games he was inserted into the starting lineup, where he remained for 22 of his remaining 23 contests.

Fleming had his ups and downs last year, as most freshman do, but finished the season on a high note - averaging 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting an excellent 38.2% from three on nearly four attempts over his final nine games.

That closing stretch is very likely what caught Gonzaga's eye, as it included a 15 point, five rebound performance at Louisville, and 19 points and six rebounds in the regular season finale at Clemson.

Overall the 6'4 guard finished third on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game, along with 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He shot just 39.4% on twos and 32.9% from three (28-85) but was an excellent 81.6% from the free throw line, getting to the line nearly four times per game. His 93 made free throws would have been second on Gonzaga behind Graham Ike's 118.

Fit at Gonzaga

Gonzaga's backcourt as of now features returning sophomore Mario Saint-Supery as well as newcomers Isiah Harwell (Houston) and Jack Kayil (Germany) who will compete to start alongside Saint-Supery.

Both Kayil and Harwell are going through the NBA draft process, with Kayil getting an invite to the NBA draft combine while Harwell was invited to the G League combine.

While both players are expected to be in Spokane next season, Gonzaga's interest in Fleming could be viewed as a safety net of sorts, in case one of them decides to go the professional route.

However, even if both players withdraw from the draft, Fleming would give Gonzaga valuable depth in the backcourt - and his late season surge as a perimeter shooter is a promising sign for his development as a long range weapon.

Gonzaga has also been connected to two other guards in the transfer portal in Stetson guard and Washington native Ethan Copeland, as well as Campbell guard Jeremiah Johnson, as they look to build out their roster ahead of their first season in the Pac-12 conference.

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