Gonzaga just got hit with a gut punch, folks, because their projected starting point guard, Mario Saint-Supery, has reportedly inked a four-year deal worth more than $15 million with EuroLeague club Valencia in his home country of Spain. This isn't just a tough break, it's the second major roster loss for the Zags in a little over two months, and it's absolutely rocked their early Top 25 And 1 ranking.
Two Projected Starters, Gone in Two Months, Zags Slip
Listen, in college hoops, you expect some roster churn, but losing *two* projected starters in the span of eight weeks? That's a whole different level of brutal. Saint-Supery's departure is massive, especially for a guy expected to run the offense. It follows on the heels of Jack Kayil, a previous commit who decided to stick with the 2026 NBA Draft literally two months ago today, despite most folks pegging him as a second-round pick. Mark Few's program thought they had a solid vision for November, but now? The Opening Night roster is gonna look way different. This one-two punch means the Zags have slipped from No. 9 all the way down to No. 14 in Version 21 of the 2026-27 CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 And 1. That's a huge tumble for a program used to being at the top.Florida Stays on Top, Gonzaga Faces Roster Questions
While the Zags are dealing with this new reality, Florida is sitting pretty at No. 1 in the same preseason poll. The Gators are projected to bring back six of their top seven scorers from a team that dominated the SEC by three games and earned a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Guys like Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Rueben Chinyelu, Urban Klavzar, and Isaiah Brown are all back. That kind of stability highlights just how much of a hit Gonzaga's taken. It's hard to argue that a Gonzaga squad with both Kayil and Saint-Supery wouldn't have had a much higher ceiling. Now, they've got some serious questions to answer about how they're going to fill those big shoes.What's Next for the Zags? The Options are Slim
So, what does Mark Few do now? The money that was set aside for Saint-Supery could be used to upgrade the roster, but let's be real, the pickings are slim this late in the game. One option is to target another international prospect. Another path could be asking Dooney Johnson, a top-30 prospect for 2027 who's already committed, to reclassify and join the program a year early. And then there's the long shot: pursuing a fifth-year senior, *if* that Hamilton County judge's ruling holds up and the NCAA doesn't win an appeal. None of these options are easy, and some could just be a whole lot of effort for nothing. The Zags are still going to be good, don't get it twisted; they'll be the obvious favorites in their first season in the new-look Pac-12. But the path to that "higher ceiling" just got a lot tougher, and every fan has got to be wondering how they'll adapt before things tip off in November.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.