Gonzaga transfer Dusty Stromer commits to Grand Canyon

Originally posted on Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI
By Cole Forsman | Last updated Apr 2, 2025 9:09 PM ET

The first player from the Gonzaga Bulldogs to put their name into the transfer portal this offseason has found a new school.

Dusty Stromer, who entered his name into the portal last week after spending two years in Spokane, will continue his college career with the Grand Canyon Antelopes, according to a post from his Instagram account Wednesday.

Stromer, a former four-star recruit from Notre Dame High School (California), played in 69 out of a possible 70 games during his time with the Zags, missing just one contest this past season due to illness. Stromer played all 35 games and made 15 starts in his freshman year in 2023-24, though his playing time and productivity took a dip as a sophomore.

In 34 games this season, including one start, Stromer put up 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per contest — down from his average of 23.5 minutes in his freshman season. The 6-foot-7 wing shot 40.0% from the field and 34.2% from behind the arc on 2.3 attempts per game. As a freshman, Stromer made 35.8% of his 3s on higher volume (2.7 attempts per game).

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While his offensive game continued to develop over time, Stromer's playing time at Gonzaga was mostly earned through his energy and effort on the defensive end of the floor. According to sportreference.com, Stromer's 2.5 plus/minus score on defense ranked eighth in the West Coast Conference in 2023-24. He was also top 20 in the WCC in defensive rating and block percentage as a freshman.

A native of Sherman Oaks, California, Stromer was the No. 47-ranked recruit in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports Composite. In May 2022, he chose Gonzaga over his other three finalists Arizona, Houston and UCLA.

The Antelopes are coming off their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament under Drew, who's won 75% of his games since taking over as head coach prior to the 2020-21 season. He guided the program to its first NCAA Tournament win in 2024 with an upset over the Saint Mary's Gaels in a first-round matchup at Spokane Arena. Grand Canyon couldn't make it back-to-back seasons with at least one win in the tournament, though, after it was knocked out by Maryland in the first round last March.

Stromer was one of three Zags to enter their name into the portal, as Jun Seok Yeo and Michael Ajayi followed soon after. Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Khalif Battle and Ben Gregg all exhausted their eligibility at the end of the 2024-25 season.