It was another strong run for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who went 28-5 and won the West Coast Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed in the West. Things were going well as the Bulldogs advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in Las Vegas. But it was there that Gonzaga ran into the Connecticut Huskies and lost by 28 points.
That was an experienced Gonzaga team led by All-American big man Drew Timme. Several departures forced Gonzaga coach Mark Few to hit the transfer portal for several reinforcements.
Gonzaga basketball: Transfer players for 2023-24 season
Ryan Nembhard, PG
Nembhard, a 6-foot guard, came from Creighton and he was one the big catches in the portal this year. ESPN had Nembhard ranked as the No. 2 point guard in the portal. He averaged 12.1 PPG and 4.8 APG last year while shooting 35.6% on 3-pointers. He’s going to be given the keys to the Gonzaga offense.
Graham Ike, C
Even with a leg injury that kept him sidelined for the 2022-23 season, the 6-foot-9 Ike was highly coveted and averaged 19.5 PPG and 9.6 RPG for the Wyoming Cowboys in leading them to a 25-9 record and the NCAA tournament in 2021-22. Nembhard & Ike gives Gonzaga a wonderful guard-post combination.
Steele Venters, SF
Venters, 6-foot-7 swingman, was the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year last season for Eastern Washington. He averaged 15.3 PPG last year and has shot around 40% from the 3-pointers in his career. However, Venters major contributions will have to wait as the 22-year-old junior suffered a knee injury last week that will keep him out for the rest of the season.