Mark Few has turned Gonzaga from a small school NCAA Tournament sweetheart to a perennial powerhouse. The program’s success on the court has led to a major uptick in recruiting in recent years, and the Bulldogs could be on the verge of landing their two biggest fish yet.
Five-star recruits Chet Holmgren, the No. 1 player in the class of 2021 according to the 247Sports Composite, and Hunter Sallis, the No. 6 prospect in the class, are both trending toward Gonzaga. Holmgren’s 247Sports Crystal Ball currently reads 100% in favor of the Bulldogs, with six of the seven predictions coming since the beginning of the new year. Sallis’s crystal ball is not all Gonzaga right now, but the last three predictions have gone the program’s way.
There has been a ton of speculation about what Holmgren will do after he graduates high school. Schools across the country have been after Holmgren for over a year, while the G-League also provides a viable path to the professional ranks. However, Holmgren provided some clarity on his future in a recent interview with CBS Sports HQ, stating that he is indeed planning on picking a college to attend and continue his basketball career.
“Yeah, I am definitely looking to find a college to play for,” Holmgren said. “My decision is definitely going to come down to my fit into the school all the way from basketball stuff to academics.”
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Sallis recently took to Twitter to announce his commitment date, picking his birthday, March 26, as the day he would pull the trigger and pick a college. The 6-foot-5, 175-pound guard will choose between Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon and UCLA.
“Sallis is a big guard who can play on or off the ball,” 247Sports’ Brian Snow said in his scouting report of the combo guard. “He is right around 6-foot-4 with the ability to really make shots, long arms, and is a solid athlete who has gotten better at a rapid rate.
“With his basketball IQ and passing ability, he serves as someone who can be a lead guard who takes care of the basketball and controls the game as a scorer and a distributor. Once he gains strength and gets more confident in his own ability the sky is the limit for what he can accomplish going forward.”