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Gonzaga guard Mario Saint-Supery projected second-round pick in 2026 NBA mock draft

The NBA draft buzz has already begun for Saint-Supery
Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery
Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery | Photo courtesy of Gonzaga University Athletics

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Mario Saint-Supery had an outstanding showing at EuroBasket while representing his home country of Spain this summer, and it did not take long for the basketball world to take notice.

Saint-Supery, 19, is set to join the Gonzaga Bulldogs this upcoming season as a freshman, and already he's getting buzz as a potential NBA draft candidate.

The latest 2026 NBA mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has the 6'4 guard going No. 34 overall to the Charlotte Hornets, which would make him the fourth one-and-done draft pick out of Gonzaga ever — joining Zach Collins, Jalen Suggs, and most recently Chet Holmgren who was taken No. 2 overall in the 2022 NBA draft.

"With how effective Mario Saint-Supery was in the Spanish ACB, he should be able to play a key role for Gonzaga," Wasserman wrote. "His combination of speed, ball-handling, footwork off the dribble, body control and touch helps him slice through gaps, create rim pressure and score in the paint."

Saint-Supery averaged 8.4 points, 2.8 assists, and just 1.2 turnovers in about 17 minutes per game during EuroBasket, hitting multiple clutch shots in Spain's elimination loss to Greece last week. He did all this while becoming the youngest player to represent Spain at EuroBasket since 2009, when 18-year-old Ricky Rubio suited up.

Gonzaga is projected to start Colgate transfer Braeden Smith and Arizona State transfer Adam Miller at the two guard positions, with Grand Canyon transfer Tyon Grant-Foster at small forward, assuming his eligibility waiver is approved by the NCAA.

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Braeden Smith.
Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Braeden Smith. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

If Saint-Supery does end up coming off the bench for Gonzaga, it doesn't mean he won't get drafted. In fact, there's already a precedent for this happening, as Collins did not start a single game for the Zags in 2016-17 before he went No. 10 overall in the 2017 NBA draft.

Saint-Supery's experience playing against older players at EuroBasket and in the ACB should help him adjust to college basketball smoothly, and if his outside shot develops he'll have all the tools modern NBA teams look for in a point guard: good positional size, strong pick and roll navigation and overall playmaking skills, pesky defensive attributes, a high basketball IQ, and floor spacing.

Saint-Supery was the only Gonzaga player in Bleacher Report's mock draft, although he was joined by quite a few players the Zags are matching up against this year, including Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance (No. 4), Kam Williams (No. 38), and Otega Oweh (No. 57), Alabama's Labaron Philon (No. 20), UCLA's Donovan Dent (No. 39), and Oklahoma's Derrion Reid (No. 44).

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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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