Gonzaga’s efforts to make moves in the transfer portal have thus far yielded limited success.
With less than a week until the April 22 deadline to enter the portal, the Bulldogs have yet to secure a commitment. This spring, at least six key players from last season’s squad—who won the West Coast Conference tournament and made it to the NCAA Tournament’s second round—are leaving, either through graduation or the portal. This has left significant roster openings for head coach Mark Few and his staff to rebuild for the 2025-26 season.
Since the portal opened on March 24, Gonzaga has been in contact with numerous players, and though they’ve made the final list for a few, they’ve fallen short in each recruitment so far. One potential addition is Rodney Rice, a 6-foot-4 guard transferring from Maryland, who has the Zags in his final six schools. However, Gonzaga’s needs for 3-point shooting, backcourt depth, and possibly a versatile wing player can’t be filled by just one recruit.
Oziyah Sellers, a 6-foot-5 guard who shot over 40% from beyond the arc at Stanford last season, was also on Gonzaga’s radar but committed to St. John’s on Wednesday. Sellers told the New York Post that he had visit offers from Creighton, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Texas, but after visiting St. John’s, he knew it was the right fit.
Sellers was a highly sought-after commodity following a productive season with the Cardinal, the team he committed to after spending two seasons at USC. He averaged 13.7 points per game and shot 45.1% from the field, 40.1% from downtown and 89.7% from the free-throw line. His free throw percentage ranked fifth all-time in Cardinal men’s basketball history. Sellers scored 20 or more points six times, including a season-high 27 on Jan. 25 against Florida State.
While there’s plenty of uncertainty regarding the Zags’ 2025-26 roster, their need for more guard play couldn’t be more evident given that Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman and Khalif Battle are set to graduate this spring. Braeden Smith is set to take the reins at point guard following a year to learn the system as a redshirt player, while Emmanuel Innocenti has an opportunity to build off the momentum he gained down the stretch of last season, should the 6-foot-5 guard return to Spokane for his junior season.
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