Hoping to answer its likely point guard need after next season, Gonzaga won out with one of the most talented playmakers that has ever entered the transfer portal since its creation. Florida standout Andrew Nembhard gave his verbal commitment to Mark Few on Tuesday and will sit out the upcoming season, he told Rivals.com.
“They checked every box for me. I loved the idea of being able to sit out next year and fall in line with those that transferred into the program in the past,” Nembhard told Rivals.com. “The Canadian pipeline was big, too. I talked to a lot of people that went there and it made it a lot easier to make that decision. Just knowing how Kyle (Wiltjer) and Kevin (Pangos) are as people and what they told me about the place, it gave me reassurance about the place and the people over there.”
Nembhard is a tremendous haul for the WCC program. The 6-foot-5 playmaker picked Gonzaga over Duke, Georgetown, Memphis, Stanford and USC. He comes to Spokane after starting all 67 games that he appeared in throughout his college career and picks a program that was heavily involved for his commitment during his high school recruitment.
One of the best facilitators in the sport, Nembhard originally entered his name into this summer’s NBA Draft before deciding to withdraw and transfer schools. He is coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 assists and three rebounds per game. He is also a well-respected member of the Canadian grassroots programs and just last summer, played with the senior national team at the FIBA World National Championships alongside former Gonzaga standouts Kevin Pangos and Kyle Wiltjer.
Gonzaga will likely see Jalen Suggs complete his one-and-done campaign this upcoming season. In doing so, the reins of the program will be left solely to Nembhard to spearhead what should be another promising roster that will compete for a high seed within the NCAA Tournament. He will have two years of eligibility remaining after he sits out next season.
