In the span of less than an hour Friday morning, Gonzaga reeled in two of the best players in the transfer portal, giving its roster for the 2023–24 season a major talent upgrade. First came a commitment from Wyoming transfer center Graham Ike, a first-team all–Mountain West selection in ’21–22 before missing last season due to a foot injury. Then, the Bulldogs landed Creighton transfer point guard Ryan Nembhard, winning one of the highest-stakes recruiting battles of the cycle. The moves quickly reload a Gonzaga roster set to sustain heavy losses from ’22–23, with all-time program great Drew Timme graduating and several other rotation players departing.
Adding a point guard like Nembhard addresses Gonzaga’s greatest flaw from this season. The Bulldogs have been known for their elite point guards over the years, dating all the way back to John Stockton and Kevin Pangos up to more recent names like Nigel Williams-Goss, Jalen Suggs and Andrew Nembhard. After a disappointing sophomore campaign from Nolan Hickman, addressing the position was a priority, and the Bulldogs landed one of the strongest names available this spring.
Nembhard was the starting point guard at Creighton for the last two years, helping lead the Bluejays to the program’s first Elite Eight appearance by averaging 12 points and nearly five assists per game. He was perhaps the best point guard in the portal, a proven above-average floor general at the high-major level with experience deep into the NCAA tournament. Two primary suitors emerged: Gonzaga, where his brother, Andrew, had transferred to from Florida and blossomed into an NBA player, and Arizona, where Tommy Lloyd, who recruited Andrew Nembhard to Gonzaga, now coaches.
