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Apr. 26—Now that college basketball's transfer portal has officially closed, Gonzaga can move on from keeping its most important players — something head coach Mark Few and his staff did successfully last week with Graham Ike and Braden Huff both committing to another year in Spokane — to filling the vacancies left by outgoing seniors/transfers and reloading at key positions.
On the transfer front, it's been an unusually quiet offseason for Gonzaga, which still has six scholarships it can fill before the 2025-26 season.
As of Saturday morning, 77 of 81 high-major schools (the Power Five conferences along with Memphis and Gonzaga) have picked up at least one transfer commitment. On average, those programs have added 3.8 transfers, with some bringing in up to seven or eight.
The four yet to do so? Gonzaga, Duke, Stanford and Marquette.
Duke isn't as transfer-dependant, bringing in three freshmen that make up the third-ranked recruiting class in America. Marquette continue to stay clear of the transfer market under coach Shaka Smart, who hasn't added anyone from the portal in three seasons.
Gonzaga has a solid core of returning rotation members that Few will pair with three players coming off redshirt seasons and one incoming freshman.
Still, the Zags probably have at least a couple of portal moves to make in order to rebuild their backcourt and establish depth at other positions.
We look at five more transfer targets Gonzaga's been in contact with or could make sense on Few's roster as the Zags continue to retool.
Adam Miller, G, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
Previous schools: Arizona State, LSU, Illinois
The scoop: The first of our Millers on this list, Adam is searching for his fourth school after previous stops at Illinois, LSU and most recently, Arizona State. The former four-star prospect has reportedly heard from a number of schools, including Gonzaga, Baylor, Arkansas, Indiana, in addition to the Illinois and ASU programs for which he's previously played. Miller's been a primary starter at each college stop, making 113 starts in 117 college games. He owns a career scoring average of 10.3 points per game, posting a career-high 12.0 points during the 2023-24 season at ASU. The shooting guard opened his career making 34% of his shots from the 3-point line and withstood two seasons at LSU and ASU where he shot 31.6% and 30.3% to elevate his percentage to a career-high 42.9% last season.
The fit: It's widely thought that Miller's down to two schools: Gonzaga and the program that upended the Bulldogs for the 2021 national championship. Depending how GU rebuilds its roster, Miller could be a logical replacement for Nolan Hickman at the shooting guard position, taking roughly the same amount of 3-point attempts as Hickman did last year with the Zags while hitting at a slightly lower percentage. Gonzaga's plenty familiar with Miller, who teamed up with former Zag Chet Holmgren on the United States' 2021 U-19 FIBA World Cup team that won a gold medal. Miller also has one career appearance against Gonzaga, scoring eight points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field in ASU's 88-80 loss at the Kennel last season.
Desmond Claude, G, 6-6, 201
Previous schools: USC, Xavier
The scoop: The transfer portal often works in funny ways. Maryland's Rodney Rice, a GU portal target one week ago, committed to USC on Tuesday, choosing the Trojans over the Zags, Villanova and Tennessee. Hours after Eric Musselman snagged a commitment from Rice, who's reported to earn an NIL deal exceeding $3 million, the Trojans' top scorer from last season, Claude, sneaked into the transfer portal hours before the 9 p.m. deadline on Tuesday. Now the Zags are in contact with Claude, who immediately became one of the top guards available on the transfer market upon entering. Claude's early list of suitors also included BYU, Ole Miss, Virginia and Indiana, according to Dushawn London of 247Sports.
The fit: Claude would check a number of boxes for Gonzaga as a score-first guard with a big frame who can play off the ball or facilitate. He is capable of creating shots and has a strong finishing ability at the rim but hasn't proven to be much of a perimeter shooting threat during his career, making 30% last season at USC after hitting 29.3% and 23.9% his first two seasons at Xavier. Claude is still one of the most accomplished scorers available in the portal, averaging 16.6 and 15.8 ppg the past two seasons, and likely caught the eye of Gonzaga's staff when he posted 19 points and five assists in a charity exhibition against Few's team last season in Palm Desert, California.
Baba Miller, F, 6-11, 215
Previous schools: Florida Atlantic, Florida State
The scoop: A familiar face for fans who follow what the Zags do on the recruiting trail. If not for Drew Timme's decision to return to Gonzaga for his fourth college season, Miller might be in a Zags uniform, taking an official visit in spring 2022 before committing to Florida State. Miller's developed since posting modest numbers at FSU as a freshman, when he appeared in just 15 games due to injury and averaged only 4.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg. The Spaniard improved to 7.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 2023-24 and took another leap when he arrived at Florida Atlantic, scoring 11.3 ppg and grabbing 7.0 rpg for first-year Owls coach and former Gonzaga Director of Basketball Operations John Jakus.
The fit: Miller hasn't technically been linked to Gonzaga, but his connections and ties to the program make it hard to leave him off this list. Aside from his prior recruiting history with Gonzaga and playing under Jakus, Miller is also a former teammate of Zags guard and ex-FSU player Jalen Warley. Both Miller and Warley played at FSU while GU assistant R-Jay Barsh worked on Leonard Hamilton's staff in Tallahassee. Miller is also familiar with Gonzaga center Ismaila Diagne, who overlapped with the FAU transfer while both played for Real Madrid's youth academy. Miller's fit at Gonzaga is interesting, particularly with news that both Ike and Huff will return next season. In theory, the Zags could roll out a huge lineup, with the 6-11 Miller playing at the "3" alongside the 6-10 Huff and 6-9 Ike, then slide over to the "4" when either of those two go to the bench.
Andrej Stojakovic, F, 6-7, 205
Previous schools: Cal, Stanford
The scoop: The son of former NBA great Peja Stojakovic spent his first two college seasons in the Bay Area but is looking to branch out after missing the NCAA Tournament both years. Stojakovic recently wrapped up a visit to Illinois, but he's also receiving interest from the Zags, Florida, North Carolina, USC, Washington and Cincinnati. It'll take a strong pitch to lure Stojakovic away from Illinois, which has a quartet of European players committed to its 2025-26 roster, and potentially a lucrative offer to convince him to go somewhere other than Florida, UNC or UW. Stojakovic was a part-time starter for Stanford as a freshman, averaging 7.8 ppg and 3.4 rpg before transferring to rival Cal, where he started in 28 of 29 games, averaging 33.4 minutes and scoring 17.9 ppg.
The fit: Stojakovic's 3-point percentage leaves something to be desired — he made 32.7% as a freshman, followed by 31.8% last season — but otherwise, he'd be a fairly seamless fit for Gonzaga at the small forward spot, giving the Zags length, scoring and rebounding next to Huff and Ike. Stojakovic didn't shoot the 3 with consistency, but he offered glimmers of hope he can be a reliable perimeter threat, making 7 of 13 from behind the arc in two games at the ACC Tournament. The sophomore forward also combined to score 66 points in those games, closing the year with a career-high 37-point effort against his former school, Stanford, and ex-Washington State coach Kyle Smith.
RJ Luis Jr., F, 6-7, 215
Previous schools: St. John's, UMass
The scoop: It's still not clear if Luis, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, will be playing for any school next season. The St. John's transfer is in both the transfer portal and NBA draft, but went on record saying he's focused on the professional route. Luis also entered the portal with a "Do Not Contact" tag, meaning the forward can initiate conversation with coaches but not the other way around. If he declines the opportunity to go pro, Luis will be one of the most coveted transfers still available by June 15, the final day college players are able to withdraw their names.
The fit: Because Luis is in the predraft process and not hearing directly from college coaches with his tag, it's hard to get a read on which schools have had dialogue with the versatile wing. Gonzaga, not unlike most schools, wouldn't have any trouble plugging in the Miami native, given his scoring numbers (18.2 ppg in 2024-25), rebounding ability (7.2 rpg) and defensive skills (1.4 steals per game). Luis has improved from the 3-point line, hitting 33.6% of his attempts last season, and had a knack for getting to the free-throw line last season, taking 5.1 trips per game. The Zags have a history with Luis' agency, Roc Nation Sports, which also represented Battle during his lone season in Spokane.
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On the transfer front, it's been an unusually quiet offseason for Gonzaga, which still has six scholarships it can fill before the 2025-26 season.
As of Saturday morning, 77 of 81 high-major schools (the Power Five conferences along with Memphis and Gonzaga) have picked up at least one transfer commitment. On average, those programs have added 3.8 transfers, with some bringing in up to seven or eight.
The four yet to do so? Gonzaga, Duke, Stanford and Marquette.
Duke isn't as transfer-dependant, bringing in three freshmen that make up the third-ranked recruiting class in America. Marquette continue to stay clear of the transfer market under coach Shaka Smart, who hasn't added anyone from the portal in three seasons.
Gonzaga has a solid core of returning rotation members that Few will pair with three players coming off redshirt seasons and one incoming freshman.
Still, the Zags probably have at least a couple of portal moves to make in order to rebuild their backcourt and establish depth at other positions.
We look at five more transfer targets Gonzaga's been in contact with or could make sense on Few's roster as the Zags continue to retool.
Adam Miller, G, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
Previous schools: Arizona State, LSU, Illinois
The scoop: The first of our Millers on this list, Adam is searching for his fourth school after previous stops at Illinois, LSU and most recently, Arizona State. The former four-star prospect has reportedly heard from a number of schools, including Gonzaga, Baylor, Arkansas, Indiana, in addition to the Illinois and ASU programs for which he's previously played. Miller's been a primary starter at each college stop, making 113 starts in 117 college games. He owns a career scoring average of 10.3 points per game, posting a career-high 12.0 points during the 2023-24 season at ASU. The shooting guard opened his career making 34% of his shots from the 3-point line and withstood two seasons at LSU and ASU where he shot 31.6% and 30.3% to elevate his percentage to a career-high 42.9% last season.
The fit: It's widely thought that Miller's down to two schools: Gonzaga and the program that upended the Bulldogs for the 2021 national championship. Depending how GU rebuilds its roster, Miller could be a logical replacement for Nolan Hickman at the shooting guard position, taking roughly the same amount of 3-point attempts as Hickman did last year with the Zags while hitting at a slightly lower percentage. Gonzaga's plenty familiar with Miller, who teamed up with former Zag Chet Holmgren on the United States' 2021 U-19 FIBA World Cup team that won a gold medal. Miller also has one career appearance against Gonzaga, scoring eight points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field in ASU's 88-80 loss at the Kennel last season.
Desmond Claude, G, 6-6, 201
Previous schools: USC, Xavier
The scoop: The transfer portal often works in funny ways. Maryland's Rodney Rice, a GU portal target one week ago, committed to USC on Tuesday, choosing the Trojans over the Zags, Villanova and Tennessee. Hours after Eric Musselman snagged a commitment from Rice, who's reported to earn an NIL deal exceeding $3 million, the Trojans' top scorer from last season, Claude, sneaked into the transfer portal hours before the 9 p.m. deadline on Tuesday. Now the Zags are in contact with Claude, who immediately became one of the top guards available on the transfer market upon entering. Claude's early list of suitors also included BYU, Ole Miss, Virginia and Indiana, according to Dushawn London of 247Sports.
The fit: Claude would check a number of boxes for Gonzaga as a score-first guard with a big frame who can play off the ball or facilitate. He is capable of creating shots and has a strong finishing ability at the rim but hasn't proven to be much of a perimeter shooting threat during his career, making 30% last season at USC after hitting 29.3% and 23.9% his first two seasons at Xavier. Claude is still one of the most accomplished scorers available in the portal, averaging 16.6 and 15.8 ppg the past two seasons, and likely caught the eye of Gonzaga's staff when he posted 19 points and five assists in a charity exhibition against Few's team last season in Palm Desert, California.
Baba Miller, F, 6-11, 215
Previous schools: Florida Atlantic, Florida State
The scoop: A familiar face for fans who follow what the Zags do on the recruiting trail. If not for Drew Timme's decision to return to Gonzaga for his fourth college season, Miller might be in a Zags uniform, taking an official visit in spring 2022 before committing to Florida State. Miller's developed since posting modest numbers at FSU as a freshman, when he appeared in just 15 games due to injury and averaged only 4.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg. The Spaniard improved to 7.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 2023-24 and took another leap when he arrived at Florida Atlantic, scoring 11.3 ppg and grabbing 7.0 rpg for first-year Owls coach and former Gonzaga Director of Basketball Operations John Jakus.
The fit: Miller hasn't technically been linked to Gonzaga, but his connections and ties to the program make it hard to leave him off this list. Aside from his prior recruiting history with Gonzaga and playing under Jakus, Miller is also a former teammate of Zags guard and ex-FSU player Jalen Warley. Both Miller and Warley played at FSU while GU assistant R-Jay Barsh worked on Leonard Hamilton's staff in Tallahassee. Miller is also familiar with Gonzaga center Ismaila Diagne, who overlapped with the FAU transfer while both played for Real Madrid's youth academy. Miller's fit at Gonzaga is interesting, particularly with news that both Ike and Huff will return next season. In theory, the Zags could roll out a huge lineup, with the 6-11 Miller playing at the "3" alongside the 6-10 Huff and 6-9 Ike, then slide over to the "4" when either of those two go to the bench.
Andrej Stojakovic, F, 6-7, 205
Previous schools: Cal, Stanford
The scoop: The son of former NBA great Peja Stojakovic spent his first two college seasons in the Bay Area but is looking to branch out after missing the NCAA Tournament both years. Stojakovic recently wrapped up a visit to Illinois, but he's also receiving interest from the Zags, Florida, North Carolina, USC, Washington and Cincinnati. It'll take a strong pitch to lure Stojakovic away from Illinois, which has a quartet of European players committed to its 2025-26 roster, and potentially a lucrative offer to convince him to go somewhere other than Florida, UNC or UW. Stojakovic was a part-time starter for Stanford as a freshman, averaging 7.8 ppg and 3.4 rpg before transferring to rival Cal, where he started in 28 of 29 games, averaging 33.4 minutes and scoring 17.9 ppg.
The fit: Stojakovic's 3-point percentage leaves something to be desired — he made 32.7% as a freshman, followed by 31.8% last season — but otherwise, he'd be a fairly seamless fit for Gonzaga at the small forward spot, giving the Zags length, scoring and rebounding next to Huff and Ike. Stojakovic didn't shoot the 3 with consistency, but he offered glimmers of hope he can be a reliable perimeter threat, making 7 of 13 from behind the arc in two games at the ACC Tournament. The sophomore forward also combined to score 66 points in those games, closing the year with a career-high 37-point effort against his former school, Stanford, and ex-Washington State coach Kyle Smith.
RJ Luis Jr., F, 6-7, 215
Previous schools: St. John's, UMass
The scoop: It's still not clear if Luis, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, will be playing for any school next season. The St. John's transfer is in both the transfer portal and NBA draft, but went on record saying he's focused on the professional route. Luis also entered the portal with a "Do Not Contact" tag, meaning the forward can initiate conversation with coaches but not the other way around. If he declines the opportunity to go pro, Luis will be one of the most coveted transfers still available by June 15, the final day college players are able to withdraw their names.
The fit: Because Luis is in the predraft process and not hearing directly from college coaches with his tag, it's hard to get a read on which schools have had dialogue with the versatile wing. Gonzaga, not unlike most schools, wouldn't have any trouble plugging in the Miami native, given his scoring numbers (18.2 ppg in 2024-25), rebounding ability (7.2 rpg) and defensive skills (1.4 steals per game). Luis has improved from the 3-point line, hitting 33.6% of his attempts last season, and had a knack for getting to the free-throw line last season, taking 5.1 trips per game. The Zags have a history with Luis' agency, Roc Nation Sports, which also represented Battle during his lone season in Spokane.
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