How Isiah Harwell compares to recent Gonzaga transfer guards

From Jordan Mathews to Nigel Williams-Goss, Andrew Nembhard to Jalen Warley, the level of talent Gonzaga has acquired and developed through the transfer market to backfill its perimeter positions has helped the Bulldogs remain relevant on a national scale over the past decade or so.

Isaiah Harwell, a former highly-touted recruit who recently announced he's transferring to play for the Zags following one season at Houston, has put himself in a position to add his name to the list of point guards and wings who started their college careers elsewhere before blossoming into big-time contributors for Mark Few's program.

But what exactly does the 6-foot-6 Idaho native bring to the table, and how does it fit what Few and company look for from the combo guard position? Let's examine Harwell's talent and skillset, and how it compares to previous Gonzaga transfers.

How Harwell's skillset compares to former Gonzaga transfer guards

For clarity's sake, let's start by defining Harwell's true position. While the Zags have had success with taller guards running point, like Williams-Goss or Nembhard, Harwell's skillset more closely resembles that of an off-ball guard whose scoring touch is more valuable than his playmaking abilities.

Since his days at Wasatch Academy (Utah), one of Harwell's biggest strengths has been his jump shot. He can knock down midrange jumpers off the dribble and has developed a nice touch from outside the 3-point line as well, especially off the catch. His ability to get to the rim in half-court sets leaves room for growth, though he's someone who likes to play fast and get to the rim in transition.

Harwell's size and athleticism bodes well for him on the defensive end of the floor, too.

Admittedly, it was hard to see the best of Harwell's game during his one-year stint with the Cougars. To be fair, though, he was coming off an ACL injury he suffered during his senior year of high school. According to Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson, that prevented him from doing any workouts or practices from May through September.

More time to recover and a full offseason with Gonzaga's training staff should give fans optimism that Harwell will be in tip-top shape for the 2026-27 campaign.

In totality, Harwell's skillset is like a blend of multiple Gonzaga transfer guards/wings. He has the "3-and-D" makeup of someone like Admon Gilder Jr., though his midrange game suggests he can be a more well-rounded scorer than the former Texas A&M transfer was during his one season with the Zags (2019-20). Truthfully, though, it's hard to put Harwell in any type of box before seeing how he fits in with his new teammates.

How Harwell's talent level compares to former Gonzaga transfer guards

Gonzaga has brought in experienced guards/wings with highly-acclaimed recruiting backgrounds before, including a few four-stars in Mathews, Gilder, Adam Miller and Jalen Warley.

None of those players, though, joined the Zags just over a year removed from being considered a top-20 recruit in their respective high school class, making Harwell a one-of-a-kind transfer for Gonzaga in that regard.

Harwell was tabbed by 247Sports as the No. 16 recruit nationally, the No. 4 shooting guard and the No. 2 player from the state of Utah in the class of 2025, which also happened to feature Utah Prep standout and likely top-three NBA draft pick, AJ Dybantsa. Even then, Harwell didn't need to be considered the No. 1 player in the state to garner interest from several of college basketball's biggest brands, including Houston, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, North Carolina, UCLA and Duke, among others.

Harwell, who also earned McDonald's All-America honors as well, was in Spokane on a recruiting visit with the Zags in February 2024, roughly nine months after he received an offer from Gonzaga.

A few more visits and seven months removed from when he checked out Gonzaga's facilities, Harwell decided to commit to Houston, where he wound up playing 13.8 minutes per game as a freshman for Sampson's club. Harwell put up 3.6 points and 2 rebounds per game while shooting 27.9% from the field, 27.1% from 3 and 61.3% from the free-throw line.

Given he was coming off a serious injury and didn't serve in a meaningful role on the court, it's hard to take Harwell's 2025-26 stats at face value. The talent scouts and evaluators saw just a year prior, which led to him being graded as a four-star prospect, is likely still there and just needs to be unlocked.

Harwell's potential impact at Gonzaga

Harwell has the talent and skillset to have an immediate impact as a dynamic guard who can score from multiple areas on the floor and play sound defense on the other end. He also possesses the kind of size that affords lineup flexibility, should Few and the staff feel comfortable enough playing him at the "3" in certain five-man groups.

That said, Harwell likely slots in best at the "2" spot next to Mario Saint-Supéry at the point guard spot. Depending on who else joins the Zags via the portal this offseason, there's room for Davis Fogle to take the next step and start on the wing at the "3," with Braden Huff and potentially a portal big man holding down the frontcourt.

If Harwell can be a consistent shooter from long range and provide a boost defensively, he'll play heavy minutes for the Zags as a sophomore. If he continues to develop his scoring and becomes more adept at using floaters and runners in the lane, he'll carve out a major role as a true three-level scorer.

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