Finally, at least one true floor leader is guaranteed to suit up for coach Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the highly anticipated 2026-27 campaign.
BeBasket was the first to report yesterday that Nathan De Sousa has been cleared to play this upcoming season. The 23-year-old arrived in Spokane, Washington, back on Aug. 29.
De Sousa has been a member of France’s top league, LNB Elite, for the past five seasons with Cholet Basket, a club that also competes in the Basketball Champions League and Euro Cup.
In 2025-26, he averaged 10.9 points on a 44.7 field goal percentage/36.1 three-point percentage/76.9 free throw percentage, 4.9 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.9 steals across 29 games with Cholet Basket in France’s LNB Elite.
De Sousa looks to follow in the footsteps of many legendary Frenchmen to be a part of the Pacific Northwest program’s legacy, like Ronny Turiaf, Killian Tillie, Joel Ayayi, and even Jean-Claude Lefebvre, the first native of France to be drafted in the NBA all the way back in 1960.
A lift off Gonzaga’s shoulders with their ongoing backcourt concerns throughout this chaotic offseason. While this positive announcement means it will just be one year for De Sousa repping the Zags, one has to think that Spain’s Real Madrid forward/center Izan Almansa will also receive a single season of eligibility to compete inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
Crazy to believe, but it’s just nine days until Kraziness in the Kennel occurs on Oct. 3; 10 confirmed players will be involved with the popular event to tip off the basketball festivities on campus.
Point guard Nathan De Sousa
Sophomore shooting guard/wing Isiah Harwell (Houston Cougars transfer)
Sophomore wing Davis Fogle
Redshirt senior power forward Braden Huff
Sophomore center Massamba Diop (Arizona State Sun Devils transfer)
Redshirt freshman power forward/small-ball center Parker Jefferson
True freshman wing Luca Foster
True freshman center Sam Funches
Preferred freshman walk-on wing Carter Nelson
Redshirt freshman walk-on point guard Alonzo Metz
Gonzaga’s roster is still not officially complete at this point in late September, with all the nonsensical 5-in-5 lawsuits going on across college basketball. Florida Gators lead guard transfer Xaivian Lee awaits a trial with the NCAA next week.
For whatever reason, French combo guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa’s picture isn’t hanging on the walls of the Volkar Center, as KXLY 4 News’ Jack Wallace pointed out at the Zags’ second official practice this fall. The incoming freshman is also from France, most recently competing with JL Bourg of the LNB Elite.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho