A landmark ruling from a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado will open the door for hundreds of college athletes to return to school this coming fall and could help Gonzaga rebuild its roster at a crucial point of the offseason.
On Friday afternoon, Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney granted a preliminary injunction that will give any athlete from the high school class of 2022 an additional year of college eligibility.
The ruling comes after dozens of student-athletes in multiple states filed lawsuits against the NCAA, asserting they should be eligible to compete under the regulatory body’s new “5-for-5” rule that gives players five years to play five seasons.
NCAA President Charlie Baker, who previously stated outgoing college seniors wouldn’t be grandfathered in to play under “5-for-5,” reacted to Friday’s court ruling through a written statement.
“Without targeted intervention from Congress, college sports cannot set nationwide rules everyone can play by and without Congress, failed professionals will continue to use college sports as a fallback option — robbing the next class of young athletes of college scholarships,” Baker said. “It is long past time leaders across college sports call for the immediate passage of the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act. … Today’s rulings and the chaos they bring to college sports are exactly why it’s time to pass this bill.”
Although most college basketball programs have already finalized their rosters, the ruling is particularly timely for a Gonzaga program that only had eight players signed to financial aid agreements on the final day of July.
Gonzaga’s backcourt, in particular, could be a beneficiary of Friday’s ruling. Mark Few’s team had two potential starters in place before German combo guard Jack Kayil elected to stay in the NBA Draft, rather than spend the 2026-27 season in Spokane.
Two months later, Gonzaga’s backcourt took another hit when point guard Mario Saint-Supery unexpectedly left to sign with Spanish club Valencia, which reportedly offered a four-year contract worth eight figures. Gonzaga’s coaching staff was blindsided by the decision and only learned of Saint-Supery’s plans the night before Valencia announced it signed the guard, according to a Spokesman-Review source.
The Zags could now be in position to not only replace both guards, but potentially upgrade their backcourt if they’re able to land one or two of the more notable players that may return to the sport in 2026-27 with Friday’s injunction.
The ruling essentially crates a second transfer portal window for players looking to seek another year of eligibility. A handful of hours after the news became public, Gonzaga assistant Rjay Barsh provided some insight into how it could be impacting different coaching staffs around the country – particular those with roster spots still open or NIL (Name Image Likeness) money available.
“Agents text me don’t call, I’m on the phone,” Barsh posted on X with a telephone emoji. “… Current wait time 12 mins.”
For a team with point guard needs, the name that clearly stands out from the rest is UCLA’s Donovan Dent, a former Mountain West Player of the Year at New Mexico who averaged 13.3 points, 7.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds for a Bruins team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Dent said he would be retiring from basketball after his final game at UCLA, but recently indicated he’d had a change of heart and would consider playing one more season, barring the outcome of eligibility lawsuits.
The 22-year-old point guard told On3.com’s Joe Tipton on Friday he planned to enter the transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag – a sign that Dent may already have a destination in mind.
Another intriguing prospect is someone who started in the same backcourt as Dent last season: UCLA guard Skyy Clark. A 23-year-old who had stints at Illinois and Louisville before spending the last two seasons at UCLA, Clark, who was primarily used as an off-guard by the Bruins, averaged 11.5 ppt, 2.3 rpg and 2.0 apg.
Clark’s shooting – he made 42.7% of his 3-pointers last season, on 4.8 attempts per game – could be an invaluable asset for a Gonzaga team that made just 34.0% of its attempts last season, posting the lowest percentage of Few’s tenure.
Other standout players who could be returning include Florida guard Xaivian Lee, Ole Miss wing AJ Storr, Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler, Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall, North Carolina State forwards Darrion Williams and Ven-Allen Lubin, Miami forward Malik Reneau, UC Santa Barbara guard Aidan Mahaney and Arizona State guard Moe Odum.