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With less than three weeks remaining before the college basketball season tips off, Gonzaga's roster situation has shifted once again. On Wednesday, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a stay on a decision from the Ohio Court of Appeals, reinstating eligibility for all players involved in the Borovicanin lawsuit, including Gonzaga point guard Javon Bennett.
The high court also requested briefings on how Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's executive order—which grants all class of 2022 seniors eligibility to compete in Ohio—affects the case. While Bennett played for Dayton in Ohio last year, the executive order applies only to student-athletes currently competing in the state. Nevertheless, the order played a role in the Supreme Court's decision to stay the lower court's ruling, a move that could have broader implications for similar NCAA lawsuits across the country.
Bennett's Eligibility Roller Coaster
Bennett's eligibility status has been in flux for months. The 5-foot-10 guard was initially cleared on July 9 via an Ohio injunction, but that ruling was stayed by the Ohio Court of Appeals on August 17, rendering him ineligible. Now, he is once again cleared to play and is expected to suit up for Gonzaga's exhibition game at Arkansas on October 24, assuming no further changes occur.
Bennett spent one season at Merrimack and the last three at Dayton, where as a senior he averaged 15.8 points and 2.9 assists per game, shooting 34.7% from three-point range on 7.0 attempts per contest, earning First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few has called Bennett the best three-point shooter on the roster, and his return provides much-needed scoring and floor spacing in the backcourt. Bennett sat out the team's Kraziness in the Kennel event with a shoulder injury.
Roster Implications for Gonzaga
With Bennett's eligibility restored, 13 of Gonzaga's 15 players are now cleared to compete. The two remaining holdouts are international big man Izan Almansa and Florida State fifth-year senior transfer Chauncey Wiggins.
Wiggins' lawsuit in Georgia was stayed by the state court of appeals, leaving him ineligible while the case proceeds. That could change—just as it did for Bennett in Ohio—but for now, the 6-foot-10 stretch forward cannot participate in Gonzaga's exhibition or regular-season games. Almansa, meanwhile, has yet to be cleared by the NCAA due to his professional experience with the G League Ignite, the Perth Wildcats in the NBL, and Real Madrid in Europe. Several other European players across college basketball were granted eligibility this month, including St. John's point guard Quinn Ellis on Tuesday, so an update for Almansa could be forthcoming.
The eligibility statuses of Bennett, Wiggins, and Florida transfer Xaivian Lee—who is eligible via a temporary restraining order in California—could fluctuate multiple times over the coming weeks and into the 2026-27 season. This uncertainty is a frustrating reality that the NCAA appears willing to accept, despite having the power to resolve the confusion and allow these student-athletes to play.
Gonzaga, with Bennett available, will face Arkansas in an exhibition game on Saturday, October 24, at 1:00 PM PT. The game will be broadcast on SECN+.