Gonzaga could be without a point guard after latest eligibility ruling

The roller coaster offseason for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs took another big turn on Friday.

The Tenth Circuit granted the NCAA's stay request in the Wisne vs. NCAA federal lawsuit, which means all student-athletes from the 2022 class are now ineligible while the case remains under appeal.

This does not impact any of the state lawsuits, including the recent ruling in California, which granted eligibility to Xaivian Lee, Donovan Dent, Ines Bettencourt, and 70 other student-athletes for the upcoming season.

However, because of a similar stay request granted in the Ohio lawsuit, Gonzaga is now once again without a point guard on the roster with about six weeks until Kraziness in the Kennel.

Nov 28, 2025; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Dayton Flyers guard Javon Bennett (0). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What the ruling means for Javon Bennett

The biggest impact on Gonzaga is the eligibility of Dayton transfer point guard Javon Bennett. Bennett was first granted eligibility in the Ohio lawsuit, but the NCAA also won a stay in that case, which at the time didn't impact Bennett because he was still eligible under the Colorado lawsuit.

However, with both lawsuits now stayed pending appeal, Bennett is currently ineligible to play this upcoming season. Theo Lawson of the Spokesman-Review reported that Bennett was planning to arrive in Spokane on Thursday, but it is currently unclear what his plan will be going forward.

BREAKING: The Tenth Circuit has GRANTED the NCAA’s stay request in Wisne v. NCAA.

Judge Sweeney’s nationwide injunction is now stayed pending appeal, meaning qualifying Class of 2022 athletes lose its federal fifth-season protection for now. pic.twitter.com/i3ASE2TmHi
— Austin Massey (@austinmasseySBI) August 21, 2026

Bennett is a 5'10 point guard who averaged 15.8 points and 2.9 assists last year for the Flyers. He spent one year at Merrimack and the past three at Dayton, and quickly pursued a fifth year of eligibility after the NCAA announced that the 5-in-5 rule was going into effect.

“It’s definitely a crazy time in college basketball,” Bennett told Lawson. “For me, when I heard I was left out of that 5-in-5 window, I was definitely devastated. I think if you’re going to give players after us a chance, I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to get a chance. I think it’s fair for us to appeal to that situation and like I said, I think kids that have somewhere to play will be able to benefit from the 5-in-5.”

The likeliest avenue for Bennett to get eligible again is if the NCAA's appeal in the Ohio lawsuit fails, but as of now, it is unclear when that ruling will happen - which could eliminate any chance of Bennett playing this upcoming season.

Which Gonzaga players are still eligible?

Feb 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Chauncey Wiggins (7). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fortunately for Gonzaga, none of the other players on the roster - or key targets - are relying solely on the Colorado lawsuit. Chauncey Wiggins, a 6'10 forward who shot 39% from three at Florida State last year, is eligible thanks to the ruling in Georgia - and while a stay request has been filed by the NCAA, it has not been granted as of this writing.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga's top two point guard targets - Xaivian Lee from Florida and Donovan Dent from UCLA - are both eligible thanks to a recent ruling in California. The NCAA will almost certainly file a stay request in this lawsuit as well, but for now both star guards are eligible to transfer to Gonzaga.

No one else on Gonzaga's roster, including recently cleared wing Skylar Wicks, is impacted by any of the lawsuits.

What will Gonzaga do next?

Good question. Gonzaga has to operate as if Bennett is no longer going to suit up for the team, which makes the pursuit of either Lee or Dent (or both?) even more significant.

Feb 7, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The team does have a commitment from 23-year-old French guard Nathan de Sousa, but he is also in eligibility limbo thanks to the NCAA's crackdown on international players with professional experience. It is anyone's guess when his eligibility will be decided, but right now he is a far more important piece for Gonzaga than initially thought.

The NCAA's stay requests in California and Georgia are important for Gonzaga fans to pay attention to, as they will determine whether Wiggins, Lee, and Dent can play this year or if the team will be scrambling to find PG minutes in 2026-27.

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