Apr. 5—For all the uncertainty around Gonzaga's roster entering 2025-26, at least one thing is abundantly clear: The Zags need bodies in the backcourt after losing at least four rotational pieces from last season's team that won a conference tournament championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga is expected to rely on former Colgate standout and Seattle native Braeden Smith to replace national assists leader Ryan Nembhard at point guard, but the Zags have to address two other starting spots after graduating Nolan Hickman and Khalif Battle, and may look to pad their depth in the backcourt with Dusty Stromer recently entering the transfer portal and committing to Grand Canyon.
Unlike a number of programs around the country, Mark Few and his coaching staff haven't made any moves to replace the outgoing players, but the Zags have made contact with a number of transfers and have one official visit lined up.
Our first list of portal targets takes a look at five players — all guards — who could help the Zags fill multiple voids next season.
Izaiah Pasha, G, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds
Previous school: Delaware
The scoop: There wasn't much buzz surrounding Pasha one year ago as a three-star recruit whose scholarship offers mostly came from midmajor programs on the East Coast. Pasha went from that to one of the more coveted young guards in the transfer portal after starting in 33 of 34 games for Delaware as a freshman, averaging 29.8 minutes per game and averaging 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists on his way to Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors. Pasha has not only heard from Gonzaga, but included the Zags as part of a top-10 list along with Wake Forest, Penn State, Charleston, Michigan, Louisville, Villanova, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Texas Tech. Gonzaga, Virginia Tech and Texas Tech are thought to be the front-runners when it comes to Pasha's recruitment per On3.com. The guard has reportedly set up a visit to Spokane, according to a report on Saturday from 247Sports.com.
The fit: Not unlike Emmanuel Innocenti a year ago, Pasha would join Gonzaga's roster with a chance to play immediately, albeit probably as a reserve who'd be able to earn more minutes throughout the season. Pasha demonstrates an ability to get downhill and create for teammates, but he wasn't a high-volume perimeter shooter at Delaware, making 33% from behind the arc while attempting just 1.7 3s per game.
LeJuan Watts, G, 6-6, 233
Previous schools: Washington State, Eastern Washington
The scoop: Two of Watts' teammates, Isaiah Watts and Nate Calmese, entered the transfer portal before WSU's trip to Las Vegas for The Crown, but the combo guard waited until after the team's 85-82 loss to Georgetown to begin exploring options for next season. That probably didn't hurt the former Big Sky Freshman of the Year and All-West Coast Conference honorable mention selection, who had his second-highest scoring game of the year on Monday. He finished with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line, adding eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.
The fit: Would Watts complete the Inland Northwest trifecta and join Few's roster after prior stops at Eastern Washington and Washington State? The Fresno, California, native is an excellent positional rebounder, gifted passer and active defender who flirted with a triple-double much of the season at WSU before finally reaching the milestone against Santa Clara, when he had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Watts' 3-point shooting isn't necessarily a strength (1.9 attempts per game) and his assist-to-turnover ratio was problematic for a team ...
