Gonzaga's win over Kentucky validates Mark Few's transfer portal process

The Gonzaga Bulldogs cruised to a dominant 94-59 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday in Nashville to move to 8-1 on the season.

The win was a much-needed bounceback for Mark Few and Gonzaga, although most of the national attention focused on what a complete and utter disaster it was for Mark Pope and Kentucky - who fell to 5-4 on the season and who are still looking for their first signature win of the campaign.

While both Few and Pope are heavy users of the transfer portal, Friday's game showcased the stark philosophical difference between the two in terms of roster construction and prioritization.

Kentucky spent roughly $22M on this roster - according to multiple reports - and while injuries to Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and Mo Dioubate have obviously played a role in this team's struggles, it's clear Kentucky does not have the camaraderie, leadership, and togetherness necessary to even compete for a conference title, let alone a national championship.

'Mercenary' is a term getting tossed around college athletics to describe players who pursue the biggest payday they can in the transfer portal, as opposed to finding a program that best fits their needs. There's nothing inherently wrong with student-athletes pursuing the proverbial bag - they have long been denied what was owed to them - but it's up to coaches to suss out which players are going to help improve the team in more ways than just their talent and athleticism.

Kentucky in particular appears to lack leadership, with no one on the floor willing to push the team to ratchet up the intensity after Gonzaga punched them in the mouth to the tune of a 19-2 lead.

This play from senior guard and No. 00 Otega Oweh - a preseason All-SEC pick and one of very few returners on Kentucky's roster - is a great example of what happens when the players who are supposed to be leading, either vocally or by example, are instead just on the floor to collect a paycheck:

Getting a chance to watch the Kentucky-Gonzaga film now. Watch Otega Oweh here. There were a half dozen plays just like this.

This level of effort, this body language, for $2mil and change or whatever it is he got, is pathetic. This is supposed to be Kentucky's senior leader. pic.twitter.com/deqwKJ0A3X
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) December 6, 2025

It's hard to even fathom something like this happening at Gonzaga, and that's a testament to Few and the coaching staff and what they prioritize when pursuing talent via the portal.

A great example is the play of two guard reserves on Friday: Adam Miller and Braeden Smith. Miller started the last seven games for Gonzaga but struggled during the Players Era Festival, averaging 7.0 points and shooting 25% from three. That led to him getting benched for the game against Kentucky, but rather than sulk or exert minimal effort, Miller took full advantage of his opportunity on the floor, hitting a season-high three triples with 11 points, four rebounds, and an assist in 17 minutes played.

Similarly, Smith began the season in the starting lineup before he was replaced by freshman Mario Saint-Supery. Considering Smith voluntarily redshirted the 2024-25 season with the intention of taking over as Ryan Nembhard's replacement at point guard, the Colgate transfer had every right to be frustrated getting benched four games into his Gonzaga career.

But when Saint-Supery picked up his second foul less than six minutes into the game on Friday, Smith was fully ready for his number to be called. He played nearly the entire rest of the half, and his defensive intensity and willingness to push the pace really kept Kentucky out of rhythm. He finished the game with a season-high 11 points and six rebounds, along with six assists and two steals.

"He was terrific," Few said of Smith after the game. "I thought that was a huge, huge key. He came in and not only didn't miss a beat, I think we started playing faster, which he's done a lot for us this year. He really shared the ball and got the ball to the right spot, stepped up and hit shots when needed."

Gonzaga does not play like a team where seven of the nine rotation players began their collegiate career elsewhere, which is a clear sign of how diligent the coaching staff is at picking the kind of players they believe will buy in to the system, will support their teammates through thick and thin, and will be ready to go when their number is called.

Kentucky may have spent more money on transfers than Gonzaga - and everyone else in college basketball - but you still have to win the games in front of you, and that requires a level of effort and camaraderie that is obviously lacking in Lexington right now, and should make Zag fans even more thankful they have a coaching staff who relentlessly pursues fit over anything else.