Gonzaga’s Fifth-Year Guard Options After Saint-Supery’s Exit
By John Damon | Just The News Iowa
A federal judge in Ohio granted a preliminary injunction to 15 men’s college basketball players, making them eligible for a fifth season in 2026-27. That ruling has opened the door for dozens of recently graduated seniors to return to college hoops. For Gonzaga coach Mark Few, it also creates a fresh pool of talent to replace Mario Saint-Supery, who stunned the program by returning to Spain to sign a lucrative deal with Valencia instead of playing his sophomore season in Spokane.
The Zags now have a chance to land an All-American caliber point guard or a reliable veteran to run the offense. Here are three potential targets Gonzaga should call immediately.
Donovan Dent: A True Superstar Option
No player available could better replace Saint-Supery than Donovan Dent. The 6-foot-2 guard spent his first three seasons at New Mexico, where he averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists as a junior in 2024-25, winning Mountain West Player of the Year and making the Naismith Trophy Midseason Watch List.
Dent transferred to UCLA for the 2025-26 season, averaging 13.3 points and 7.6 assists while committing just 1.8 turnovers per game. He posted 12 points and 10 assists against Gonzaga in December and scored 23 points with 12 assists in UCLA’s Big Ten Tournament upset of Michigan State.
The catch? Dent announced plans to retire from playing and focus on youth basketball. But Gonzaga has the financial resources — freed up by Saint-Supery’s departure and boosted by Domantas Sabonis’ recent gift — to make a compelling offer. A chance to run an elite offense and compete for a national title could change his mind.
Moe Odum: A Familiar WCC Foe
Moe Odum spent three years in the West Coast Conference tormenting Gonzaga, first at Pacific and then at Pepperdine, where he averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 assists as a junior. He transferred to Arizona State for his senior season and posted career highs of 16.4 points and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 37.7% from three on 7.2 attempts per game.
At 6-foot-1, Odum is a bit undersized, but his quickness, playmaking, and ability to score from deep make him a dangerous option. Gonzaga has seen him up close for four years and would love to have him on their side.
Nate Calmese: A Well-Traveled Scorer
Nate Calmese has played at four schools in four years, including two in the state of Washington. He started at Lamar, where he won Conference Rookie of the Year after averaging 17.6 points. After a brief stint at Washington, he crossed the state to Washington State in 2024-25 and averaged 15.2 points and 3.3 assists.
He torched Gonzaga for 20 points, eight assists, and four steals in January. His senior season at Wake Forest saw him average 10.3 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 39.8% from three. Calmese brings solid perimeter defense, strong facilitation, and an outside shot that improved dramatically in the ACC.
What This Means for Gonzaga
The Ohio ruling gives Few and his staff a rare opportunity to plug a critical hole with an experienced, high-level guard. Each of these three players offers something different, but all could step in immediately and keep Gonzaga in the national title conversation.
Iowa fans should watch this closely. The Zags are a perennial powerhouse, and the player they land could shape the entire 2026-27 college basketball landscape.
“Gonzaga has the money and the system to attract top talent. The question is whether these players want one more shot at a championship.” — College basketball analyst