Gonzaga men’s basketball 2024-25 roster update: Zags add Ajayi, Orness

Through one month of rapid-fire player movement across college basketball, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have a strong inkling of who will be on the 2024-25 roster.

With the transfer portal closing on May 1, here’s a look at who is expected to suit up for the Zags next fall.

RETURNERS:

G Ryan Nembhard (senior)
G Nolan Hickman (senior)
G/F Steele Venters (redshirt senior)
G Dusty Stromer (sophomore)
G Joe Few (senior)
F Ben Gregg (senior)
F Braden Huff (redshirt sophomore)

A group that was relatively inexperienced when they first joined forces will now be expected to hit the ground running in the fall after building chemistry and continuity throughout last season en route to the program’s ninth straight Sweet 16 appearance as one of the most efficient offenses in the country.

As seen in various “way-too-early” top 25 rankings and polls for the 2024-25 season, some prognosticators expect the Bulldogs to be a top-five team entering November based on how much experience they’ll return from a 27-8 squad. According to Bart Torvik, Gonzaga is bringing back 83.1% of minutes played last season, the fifth-highest rate in the country and the highest among NCAA Tournament teams. 

Welcoming back a healthy Steele Venters, a former Big Sky Player of the Year and a career 40.3% 3-point shooter at Eastern Washington, should benefit a Zags team that that posted the second-worst 3-point shooting percentage (36.2%) in the Mark Few era last season. After missing 2023-24 due to a torn ACL days before the season opener, Venters will contend for a spot in the starting lineup. If he plays big minutes off the bench, the Zags will have a reliable outside shooter deep into their rotation.

As for Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike, two highly touted transfers who joined not long after Venters committed to Gonzaga, they’ll look to build off the chemistry developed throughout their first year together. The duo formed a tight connection in the pick-and-roll game by season’s end, torching the likes of Kentucky and Kansas with relentless ball-screens in the process, on top of individually playing their best basketball at the right time. Both All-WCC players will have a chance to hit the ground running in 2024.

Nolan Hickman no longer bears the burden of adjusting to yet another role within the offense. Now a seasoned senior, the 6-foot-2 guard is coming off his best season as a Bulldog in which he averaged 14.0 points and went 78-of-139 (41.3%) from 3-point range. The Seattle native figures to play a significant role as an off-ball guard next to Nembhard once again.

A similar sentiment is felt about Ben Gregg, whose versatility and energy sparked the Bulldogs’ improved second half of the season. Gonzaga won 16 of its last 19 games with Gregg in the starting lineup and ranked top-five in the country in offensive efficiency. The 6-foot-10’s intangibles will be a key factor in maintaining that efficiency next season.

As for some of Gonzaga's younger pieces, their development over the offseason will be crucial in determining how deep Few's rotation will be next fall. Braden Huff and Dusty Stromer were solid contributors in different roles, while Luka Krajnovic and Jun Seok Yeo were limited off the bench. Huff has major upside as a multi-skilled stretch forward, while Stromer had his moments as a high-energy guy who was willing to do whatever it took to earn minutes on the floor.

DEPARTURES

F Anton Watson (graduation)
F Colby Brooks (transfer portal)
F Pavle Stosic (transfer portal)

The Bulldogs wave goodbye to a local icon this offseason when Anton Watson graduates this spring. The Gonzaga Prep product went down as one of the program’s winningest and most unselfish players of all time, while his professional approach to the game was evidenced by his defensive versatility and high basketball IQ on the offensive end of the floor.

Watson finished his Gonzaga career as the only player in program history with over 1,400 points, 700 rebounds and 200 assists. His 215 steals are second behind only John Stockton, while his 21 steals in the NCAA Tournament are the most by a Bulldogs player. Watson is also third in games played (151) and wins (132).

There’s no one-for-one replacement for a player like Watson. It’ll take a collective group effort to try to replicate what he brought on and off the court over the course of his five seasons. Perhaps the existing continuity and familiarity on the roster can help in some of the aspects that made Watson so valuable as a player.

NEWCOMERS

F Michael Ajayi (senior)
G Cade Orness (freshman)

Gonzaga's first acquisition in the transfer portal has already entered his name for NBA Draft consideration, though he’s expected to join the team after the program officially announced his transfer earlier this month. Ajayi has until June 1 to withdraw his name from draft consideration and retain his eligibility for next season.

In the likely case that the All-WCC wing completes his transition from Malibu, California, to Spokane, the Bulldogs have quite the talented scorer to give the ball to next season. The 6-foot-7 Kent, Washington, native put up 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game as a junior, shot 46.7% from the field and 47.0% from 3-point range (2.5 attempts per game). A capable scorer who can get to his spots at all three levels, Ajayi's skillset is one the Zags didn't have on the roster last season.

Orness, a 6-foot-5 guard out of North Kitsap (Washington), committed to the Bulldogs as a walk-on for the 2024-25 season.