June 19 – Mark Few will have a lot on his plate when he joins Team USA in Las Vegas a few weeks from now to begin preparations for the Summer Olympics, but the Gonzaga coach shouldn’t worry too much about the status of his program back in Spokane as he begins an international tour that includes stops in Abu Dhabi and London before an arrival in Paris in late July.
Early projections of Gonzaga as a top-five team entering the 2024-25 college basketball season are largely based on the group’s return, but Few’s confidence in the team he will return to in August after wrapping up Olympic duties means also arises from a transfer. class that has been strategically selected to fill various gaps and gaps.
“I think the best thing we did during this offseason was add pieces that bring different aspects to the program that we don’t have,” Few said Tuesday during an interview with local media at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
The Zags began working the transfer portal earlier than ever under Few, committing to Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi on March 26 — about 72 hours before GU faced Purdue in the Sweet 16 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Ajayi went through the NBA Draft process and impressed as one of 78 players invited to the NBA Combine, but ultimately decided to put a professional basketball career on the back burner and withdrew his name from the Draft just hours before the 9pm PT deadline on the 29th. of May.
An athletic wing from Kent who led the WCC in scoring (17.9 ppg) and finished second in rebounding (9.9 rpg) last season, Ajayi arrived in Spokane last week and has already been through some summer workouts with his new team.
“We had great communication, and that’s how these things actually happen the way they’re supposed to, whether they go, stay or whatever,” Few said. “We had great communication and he ended up making a good decision. Everyone was on the same page and he got great feedback, he got a great experience going to the Combine and also doing a lot of training. Now he’s back here and has some training under his belt and is doing really well.”
When it came to Gonzaga’s offseason rebuilding efforts, another key date was May 5. Arkansas guard Khalif Battle, an explosive scorer who averaged 26.6 points over the final nine games of the SEC season, announced he was committing to the Zags, choosing Few’s program over Villanova. and Kansas State for his sixth and final year of eligibility.
“Khalif will help us a lot. He’s different,” Few said. “I think his ability to be fouled is at the highest level in college basketball. .”
Battle’s 213 free throw attempts, or 6.7 FTA per game, would have led the West Coast Conference last season. By comparison, Gonzaga’s 2023-24 free throw leader, Graham Ike, has made just 134 free throws in 35 games.
Whether he’s the third guard in a starting lineup alongside returners Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman or a dynamic scorer off the bench, the 6-foot-2 battle gives the Zags a look they didn’t have last season as a bigger guard. who can dribble, shoot from the perimeter and make frequent trips to the foul line.
“I think he recognized that and we communicated that,” Few said. “That’s what we needed him for. So it was something, we had a need and he was looking for a program like that that wanted him and needed him, so it worked out perfectly.”
Gonzaga’s transfer class also includes forward Emmanuel Innocenti, an ace defensive back from Tarleton State, and guard Braeden Smith, who has pledged to redshirt in 2024-25 and would likely only take the court in an emergency situation.
Innocenti could also be more of a future investment for a GU team that is particularly deep at the wing/forward positions and the sophomore is one of two players not currently on campus, along with recent signee Ismaila Diagne.
Smith, who also visited Washington, California and Davidson, embraced the redshirt idea after winning the Patriot League player of the year award and starring for a Colgate team that made its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
“Emmanuel, he’s still doing some stuff in Italy with their team,” Few said. “With Braeden, again it was great communication, great openness about what was out there, but also looking forward to next year and our lineup and what was available out there. That being the plan. So far so good.”
