The Gonzaga Bulldogs have become a factory for elite talent over the last decade under Mark Few, with 13 former Zags playing in the NBA last season.
While Ryan Nembhard had a successful rookie season and Graham Ike is in line to contribute for the Golden State Warriors in 2026-27, Gonzaga has not had a player selected in the draft since Anton Watson went No. 54 in 2024.
That streak could come to an end in 2027, with many draft analysts projecting one or both of Davis Fogle and Massamba Diop to leave Gonzaga early and land somewhere among the 60 picks in late June.
Fogle fever
The latest first round projection from CBS Sports scout Adam Finkelstein has Fogle going No. 18 overall to the Charlotte Hornets. He'd become the highest-drafted Zag since Chet Holmgren went No. 2 in 2022, and the first first-round pick out of Gonzaga since Julian Strawther went No. 29 in 2023.
"Davis will have an opportunity to be one of college basketball's breakout players this year, and maybe even a jumbo initiator at Gonzaga," Finkelstein wrote. "If he can sustain his shooting and defense, he could play his way into the first round."
The 6'7 wing was a revelation for Gonzaga last year, starting the season as a productive scorer in limited minutes to eventually playing a crucial rotation role on the perimeter for coach Few. He ultimately averaged 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in just 16.7 minutes per game, shooting 56.3% on twos, 35% from three, and 72.3% from the free throw line.
Now with Jalen Warley, Tyon Grant-Foster, Adam Miller, Emmanuel Innocenti, and Steele Venters all out the door, the path to a huge role on the wing for Gonzaga is clear - and he showed everyone what this year could look like when he dropped 30 points on 11-15 shooting in 20 minutes at Kraziness in the Kennel, setting an event scoring record while shooting a blistering 6-7 from three.
Gonzaga's offense will still funnel through star forward Braden Huff - who averaged 17.8 points on elite efficiency last year before a knee injury ended his season in January - but Fogle will get plenty of opportunities to flash his immense offensive potential, especially if he ends up in more of an on-ball role.
The Zags have three very capable point guards on the roster in Florida transfer Xaivian Lee, Dayton transfer Javon Bennett, and French 23-year-old Nathan de Sousa, and while all are currently eligible, that could change for both Lee and Bennett in the ongoing legal battle between the NCAA and the class of 2022.
If Gonzaga is forced to play without Lee and Bennett at any point this season, Fogle could be the team's de facto backup point guard - a skill that could dramatically improve his draft stock if he proves capable of handling those duties for the Zags.
Gonzaga to face multiple first round hopefuls
Gonzaga's matchup against Duke in February will feature four projected NBA draft picks on Finkelstein's mock, with Fogle joining center Patrick Ngongba (No. 9), wing Dame Sarr (13), and big man Cam Williams (17).
The Zags will also take on Arkansas in Fayetteville in an exhibition game this Saturday, Oct. 24, featuring projected No. 2 pick Jordan Smith Jr., junior forward Billy Richmond III at No. 21, and freshman wing JJ Andrews at No. 27.
That contest is set to tip at 1:00 PM PT and will be broadcast on SECN+.
Add us as a preferred source on Google