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Apr. 5—One of the top two-way players from Gonzaga's 31-win team in 2025-26 could be wearing a different uniform next season.
Junior wing Emmanuel Innocenti, a 29-game starter who ranked second on the team in minutes per game by the end of the season, is planning to enter the transfer portal, his agency "THE·TEAM" told DraftExpress on Sunday.
He becomes the first rotation player from Gonzaga's 2025-26 roster to reveal intentions to enter the portal four days after guard Cade Orness, a former walk-on, announced he was doing the same.
Players cannot officially enter the transfer portal until it opens Tuesday, one day after the national championship game between Michigan and UConn.
Innocenti was Gonzaga's eighth-leading scorer at 6.0 points per game but widely considered to be the team's top on-ball defender. He averaged 24.3 minutes per game, second to only Graham Ike (31.2) and Braden Huff (25.4), although Huff missed the team's final 17 games with a knee injury.
Despite a constantly changing college basketball and transfer portal climate, Gonzaga's had a solid track record when it comes to retaining starters and key rotation pieces. Innocenti becomes the first player to enter the portal after starting in a majority of Gonzaga's games the season prior or averaging at least 20 mpg.
A 6-foot-5 native of the Ivory Coast, Innocenti arrived at Gonzaga in 2024-25 after spending his freshman season at Tarleton State. The wing came off the bench in 28 of the team's 31 games during his first season at Gonzaga, averaging only 1.7 points and 1.9 rebounds while averaging 12.1 minutes.
Innocenti's role expanded as a junior when he started in all but six games, including all four games at the West Coast Conference Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
The wing saw an increase in playing time after Huff's injury and totaled at least 20 minutes in 16 of the last 17 games, clearing 30 minutes in eight games. Innocenti played 38, 34 and 39 minutes in the team's final three games, against Santa Clara, Kennesaw State and Texas.
Innocenti scored in double figures six times last season, recording a season-high 16 points in a Feb. 14 win at Santa Clara. The wing drilled five 3-pointers and scored 15 points in a 100-61 win over Maryland at the Players Era Festival, but was inconsistent from behind the arc this season, knocking down just 28.4% of his attempts.
The Zags are now set to lose three wing players who helped GU build one of the nation's top perimeter defenses. Gonzaga is replacing its leader in steals per game, Jalen Warley (1.5), and the player who paced the team in blocked shots, Tyon Grant-Foster (1.1).
With Ike, Adam Miller and Steele Venters all running out of eligibility, the Zags could lose six of the 10 players who factored into the team's rotation last season.
Continue reading...
Junior wing Emmanuel Innocenti, a 29-game starter who ranked second on the team in minutes per game by the end of the season, is planning to enter the transfer portal, his agency "THE·TEAM" told DraftExpress on Sunday.
He becomes the first rotation player from Gonzaga's 2025-26 roster to reveal intentions to enter the portal four days after guard Cade Orness, a former walk-on, announced he was doing the same.
Players cannot officially enter the transfer portal until it opens Tuesday, one day after the national championship game between Michigan and UConn.
Innocenti was Gonzaga's eighth-leading scorer at 6.0 points per game but widely considered to be the team's top on-ball defender. He averaged 24.3 minutes per game, second to only Graham Ike (31.2) and Braden Huff (25.4), although Huff missed the team's final 17 games with a knee injury.
Despite a constantly changing college basketball and transfer portal climate, Gonzaga's had a solid track record when it comes to retaining starters and key rotation pieces. Innocenti becomes the first player to enter the portal after starting in a majority of Gonzaga's games the season prior or averaging at least 20 mpg.
A 6-foot-5 native of the Ivory Coast, Innocenti arrived at Gonzaga in 2024-25 after spending his freshman season at Tarleton State. The wing came off the bench in 28 of the team's 31 games during his first season at Gonzaga, averaging only 1.7 points and 1.9 rebounds while averaging 12.1 minutes.
Innocenti's role expanded as a junior when he started in all but six games, including all four games at the West Coast Conference Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
The wing saw an increase in playing time after Huff's injury and totaled at least 20 minutes in 16 of the last 17 games, clearing 30 minutes in eight games. Innocenti played 38, 34 and 39 minutes in the team's final three games, against Santa Clara, Kennesaw State and Texas.
Innocenti scored in double figures six times last season, recording a season-high 16 points in a Feb. 14 win at Santa Clara. The wing drilled five 3-pointers and scored 15 points in a 100-61 win over Maryland at the Players Era Festival, but was inconsistent from behind the arc this season, knocking down just 28.4% of his attempts.
The Zags are now set to lose three wing players who helped GU build one of the nation's top perimeter defenses. Gonzaga is replacing its leader in steals per game, Jalen Warley (1.5), and the player who paced the team in blocked shots, Tyon Grant-Foster (1.1).
With Ike, Adam Miller and Steele Venters all running out of eligibility, the Zags could lose six of the 10 players who factored into the team's rotation last season.
Continue reading...
