Few programs have had as much consistent success at the point guard position as Gonzaga Basketball, dating back over a decade. In the last few years alone, they’ve had the Nembhard brothers, Andrew and Ryan, run the top-tier Bulldogs’ offense. But with all of the senior guards gone, it’s a new backcourt for next year.

The new projected PG for next season is set to be Braeden Smith, a transfer from Colgate who was the Patriot League Player of the Year in 2023-24. He redshirted this past season and sat out, but there are high expectations as the next lead guard. Also in the backcourt is Arizona State transfer Adam Miller and four-star incoming freshman Davis Fogle.

Yet the team didn’t have another true ball-handler on the roster, unless Miller would slide over. That’s changed with another addition, continuing Gonzaga’s history of international pickups. 

Mario Saint-Supery is a 6’4 guard from Spain who is one of the top young prospects from the country. He plays in the Liga ACB, one of the top leagues in the world, alongside the NBA. He averaged 8.3 ppg and 2.1 apg, shooting 47% from the field and 37% from deep in 15 mpg. Saint-Supery is a good shooter and overall playmaker who also defends well.

With this addition, Gonzaga now has two capable ball-handlers, though both are unknown at the WCC level. Still, there’s hope that at least one of them will be able to be good enough to start on a top-25 caliber team for next season. International scouts look at Saint-Supery as a potential NBA prospect due to his scoring and overall playmaking ability, which makes him a contender to be a lead guard, too.

Assuming Grand Canyon transfer Tyon Grant-Foster gets his waiver to play another year, the roster for Gonzaga is all but set. They’ll be the favorites to win the WCC in their final year before moving on to the Pac 12, but is this core group good enough to make a run in the NCAA Tournament?

Mario Saint-Supery could determine their ceiling in that.