The official NBA draft early entrants list was released on Tuesday, and it brought no surprises for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. As anticipated, Michael Ajayi, who transferred from Pepperdine and committed to Gonzaga in March, was the only Zag among nearly 200 early entrants. He declared for the draft in early April but retained the option to return to college.
Graham Ike, the forward who had a standout junior season leading the team with 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and Ryan Nembhard, the point guard who averaged 12.6 points and set a program single-season record with 243 assists, were thought to be potential candidates to test the NBA draft waters, although they haven’t featured prominently in mock drafts.
Other players considered were guard Nolan Hickman, who had a career-best 14.0 points per game and shot 41.3% from 3-point range as a junior, and forward Ben Gregg, who became a key contributor after joining the starting lineup in January and helped Gonzaga reach the Sweet 16.
Wing Steele Venters underwent the draft process last summer but returned to school. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury in November just before Gonzaga’s season opener against Yale. He’s expected to return for the 2024-25 season.
Anton Watson declared for the draft last year but decided to return for his fifth season. Julian Strawther was eventually picked late in the first round by Denver, while Malachi Smith opted to play in the NBA G League.
With players leaving for the NBA no longer a concern, attention turns to the college basketball transfer portal deadline, which is Wednesday. This could attract some notable names looking to explore opportunities at schools with strong name, image, and likeness (NIL) support.
There’s an exception for coaching changes, allowing players 30 days from their coaches’ departure date to enter the portal. The NCAA has also removed the exception for graduate transfers, making their deadline the same as other transfers.
Freshman forward Pavle Stosic and walk-on wing Colby Brooks are the only Gonzaga players in the transfer portal so far.
If this remains the case by Wednesday, Gonzaga’s roster should look similar to last season, with four returning starters (Ike, Hickman, Nembhard, and Gregg), two top reserves (Braden Huff and Dusty Stromer), and Venters returning from injury.
Roster turnover is common for college programs, especially in the era of the transfer portal and NIL. Since March 18, over 1,900 players have entered the portal.
Watson, a first-team All-West Coast Conference forward, is the biggest departure. Ajayi is currently the biggest addition, provided he withdraws from the draft by the May 29 deadline.
“If NBA executives want me to go back for another year of school, correct stuff and work on things, whatever they say, I’ll work on my game and do a year at Gonzaga,” Ajayi told The Spokesman-Review about three weeks ago.
