New bill could change how Gonzaga recruits international talent

For 20+ years, one of the biggest strengths of Mark Few and his Gonzaga Bulldogs was the ability to identify, recruit, and develop talent internationally.

Even after prized international recruiter Tommy Lloyd took over as the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats in 2021-22, Gonzaga has remained an elite destination for recruits in Europe, Canada, and Asia.

However, new legislation brought forth in Congress could significantly alter Gonzaga's ability to recruit outside the United States.

Senators Tim Walberg and Jon Husted introduced a bill on Monday called the Training and Education for American Members in University Sports and Athletics - or TEAM USA - Act, that, if passed, would limit international student-athletes at the collegiate level.

What the TEAM USA Act would change

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery (17). | Photo by Mercedes Smith

For such a convoluted name, the TEAM USA Act is rather simple: under this legislation, all college programs, in any sport, would be limited to 20% of their roster going toward student-athletes born internationally.

The schools would have to report participation numbers to the Department of Education annually in order to ensure compliance.

For college basketball, a standard 15-player roster would only be allowed a maximum of three international student-athletes, while the number would change depending on roster sizes in other sports.

Why Gonzaga could be affected

The earliest this would go into effect is 2029-30, so the impact on GU's current roster is non-existent. But right now, the Zags do have four internationally born players set to compete in 2026-27 in Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop (Senegal), Spanish forward Izan Almansa, and French guards Nathan de Sousa and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa.

Many of Gonzaga's best teams - even ones that primarily relied on domestic talent - would have been in violation of this rule, including the 2020-21 team that featured Andrew Nembhard (Canada), Oumar Ballo (Mali), Pavel Zakharov (Russia), and Martynas Arlauskas (Lithuania), as well as the 2016-17 team that featured Przemek Karnowski (Poland), Killian Tillie (France), Rui Hachimura (Japan), and Dustin Triano (Canada).

Feb 29, 2020; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Killian Tillie. | USA TODAY Sports

Gonzaga is far from the only premier program that utilizes international talent - Arizona still does under Lloyd, as well as Illinois, St. John's, and North Carolina - but they would lose a significant advantage if forced to limit the number of spots that can go to players born outside the US.

The bill faces an uncertain path

Fortunately, the TEAM USA Act doesn't seem particularly likely to pass, at least not as currently constructed. For starters, the NCAA is already working toward addressing the issue of professional athletes coming from overseas to play college sports - with the age-based 5-in-5 eligibility model and a recent crackdown on international recruiting taking place this summer.

Secondly, Congress is already working through the Protect College Sports Act, and another - completely separate - bill regarding collegiate sports won't be near the top of the priority list anytime soon.

Still, a perceived movement toward limiting international student-athletes is of concern for Gonzaga basketball and the world of college hoops overall.

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