Gonzaga rockets up ESPN’s preseason Top 25 after Xaivian Lee addition

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have one of the most talented - and unpredictable - rosters in all of college basketball, with two months until the season officially gets underway.

The foundation of returners Braden Huff and Davis Fogle, as well as transfer center Massamba Diop and wing Isiah Harwell, gives the Zags a high floor thanks to the group's combination of interior and perimeter defense, low post scoring, and shot creation.

That quartet, plus a Hall of Fame coach on the sidelines, is enough for Gonzaga to appear in the top 25 of any preseason rankings, regardless of who else is on the roster - which is the big question right now.

Where to rank them?

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few and guard Davis Fogle. | Photo by Erik Smith

Jeff Borzello at ESPN had Gonzaga clinging to a spot at No. 25 in his previous preseason rankings, citing concern about guard depth and perimeter scoring.

But on Wednesday, he released an update to those rankings - factoring in the class of 2022 - and Gonzaga rocketed up to No. 13, the second biggest leap after Texas Tech - which went from unranked to No. 9.

That shouldn't come as a major surprise, as the Zags addressed their biggest issues by securing a pair of 5th-year senior point guards in Javon Bennett (Dayton) and Xaivian Lee (Florida) while also landing sharpshooter Chauncey Wiggins, a 6'10 forward who shot 39% from three on six attempts per game last year at Florida State.

Replacing the surprise departure of Mario Saint-Supery with Lee is a massive, massive win for Few and the coaching staff, giving them an elite playmaker and pick-and-roll threat who excels at getting downhill and finishing at the rim in traffic - a skill Gonzaga lacked in the backcourt last year.

Adding Lee and Wiggins to the lineup alongside Fogle, Huff, and Diop gives the Zags one of the best starting fives in the entire country, and Bennett is an excellent change-of-pace PG who can also hit from the outside.

This roster is arguably top 10 in the country, if not top five, but the whole squad suiting up together is far from a guarantee - which is the biggest question still lingering for this staff as the season approaches.

Will they all play?

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Chauncey Wiggins (7) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Currently, Bennett is the only one of the three class of 2022 seniors who is ineligible, after his lawsuit in Ohio was hit with a stay request by the NCAA. The case will be heard on appeal, and if the appeal is denied, the 5'11 guard will have his eligibility reinstated, but the timing of all that is still very much in the air.

Meanwhile, both Lee and Wiggins remain eligible thanks to injunctions granted in California and Georgia, respectively, but either could end up in the same situation as Bennett should their lawsuits get stayed by the NCAA as well.

As if that wasn't enough confusion for the team, a pair of international commits in 23-year-old French point guard Nathan de Sousa and 21-year-old Real Madrid center Izan Almansa remain ineligible while the NCAA sorts through their professional experience. de Sousa is in Spokane awaiting confirmation from the NCAA, while Almansa has been in and out of town throughout the offseason.

Neither figures to start for Gonzaga - unless both Lee and Bennett are ineligible - but they represent key depth at important positions, with de Sousa bringing playmaking and shooting while Almansa is a tough, physical rebounder and interior scorer.

Where Zags stack up

13 feels about right for Gonzaga, although this team could realistically finish significantly higher or lower depending on what happens in the courts over the next few months.

The Zags have certainly put together a non-conference schedule to challenge this group, with matchups against No. 2 Duke, No. 8 Michigan State, No. 10 Arkansas (exhibition), and No. 23 UCLA, while Purdue just missed the cut in Borzello's rankings.

Gonzaga could also face No. 16 Alabama in game two of the Players Era Festival, and either No. 18 Miami or No. 20 Michigan in game three.

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