Zags GETTING DUDES!

After what was a tough summer and early fall for Gonzaga basketball roster moves, finally we are swinging in the right direction as the 2nd straight eligibility case was won today, with Xaivian Lee granted the ability to play in 2026-27, joining Javon Bennett from last week.

Look, I gotta say this right off the bat, all of our guys better be getting the chance to play if Trey Kauffman-Renn from the CLASS OF 2021 is getting to suit up! Okay, that’s it on that, I’ll move on.

Lee is a major addition for the Zags. Not only does it give us depth at the PG spot, but he is someone who is a proven player at the major level as a starter for 1-seeded Florida last year. Also, he played with a dominant frontcourt similar to the makeup we have this year in Spokane. This is no diss to Mario Saint-Supery, but with the addition of Lee & Bennett, our PG spot might be much better off than if he had stayed.

Lee & Bennett complement each other so well, and we could even see the two play together at times, think Pangos/Bell, Williams-Goss/Perkins, or Nembhard/Hickman. Bennett is the more high-volume shooter from deep, but Lee has shown the ability to hold his own out there. Still, Lee looks to be more of an all-around player on both ends, whereas Bennett gives us the chance to spread the floor for Braden Huff, Davis Fogle, Massamba Diop, and even Isaiah Harwell.

Of course, now in this day & age, there is still the worry of the NCAA finding a way to get this reversed, but those chances feel very thin as they continue to take L after L on their reversal attempts. So for now, we celebrate that the Zags roster each week is looking stronger & stronger and more like a squad that can compete at a Final Four level.