Gonzaga's Hunter Sallis enters transfer portal
Gonzaga's backcourt is growing thin after former five-star recruit Hunter Sallis became the second guard to enter the college basketball transfer portal this week. Sallis averaged 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 16.7 minutes per game as a sophomore this past season.
Sallis came off the bench in all 60 games he played as a Zag, averaging 15 minutes per game to provide athleticism and defense on the perimeter. His defense in the second half of the Sweet 16 matchup with UCLA helped the Zags overcome a 13-point deficit against the Bruins, who were held without a field goal for an 11-minute stretch. He also added five points and five rebounds in the win.
Sallis scored a season-high 13 points in 17 minutes against San Francisco in Gonzaga's win over the Dons on Feb. 9 in Spokane. The 6-foot-5 slashing guard's aggressive drives got him to the line often, as he went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.
Sallis shot 46.6% from the field, including 25.6% from deep. He went 32-for-41 from the free throw line on the season and finished fourth in total fouls with 73.
Sallis' career-high came in his third-ever game as a Zag, when he dropped 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting against Alcorn State as a freshman in 2021.
The Omaha, Nebraska native was the sixth-ranked recruit in the class of 2021 according to 247sports and the first five-star recruit in the history of Nebraska high school basketball. Upon committing in March of his senior year, he became Gonzaga's third McDonald's All-American signee.
Sallis fielded a number of offers coming out of Millard North High School, including Creighton, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon and UCLA.
Sallis' decision comes after junior guard Dominick Harris entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. The former four-star recruit was forced to miss the 2021-22 season with an injury before appearing in 13 games this season. Harris averaged 6.2 minutes in 35 career games at Gonzaga.
