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The Gonzaga Bulldogs have experienced an unusually high turnover at the point guard position this offseason, thanks to unexpected departures and shifting eligibility battles. Yet when the Zags opened their exhibition schedule against Arkansas on Saturday, they had three point guards in uniform and cleared to play—though one of them, Javon Bennett, was uncertain about his status until the final moments due to an ongoing legal fight for eligibility in Ohio.
Bennett, Florida transfer Xaivian Lee, and 23-year-old French guard Nathan de Sousa each logged at least 15 minutes against the Razorbacks, often sharing the court together. Their extended minutes were partly necessitated by the absence of sophomore Davis Fogle, who sat out with a minor leg injury.
The availability of all three was a significant development for Gonzaga, but the on-court results in the team's 76-72 loss left much to be desired.
Lee Shines Despite Foul Trouble
Lee drew the start and delivered the strongest performance of the trio, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting (2-of-4 from three) while adding five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and just one turnover. However, he was limited to 19 minutes because of foul trouble and did most of his damage during Gonzaga's late second-half comeback attempt.
"Xaivian did a nice job responding," coach Mark Few said after the game. "Especially in that second run we put him in to step up and make shots, because he was struggling a little bit early and he got the four fouls."
De Sousa started in Fogle's place and played a team-high 33 minutes, but he had a miserable shooting night—making only 2 of 17 field goals, including 1 of 8 from beyond the arc. He did contribute three rebounds and tied for the team lead with three assists and two steals, but it was a forgettable outing for the Frenchman, who has one year of college eligibility remaining.
Bennett also failed to find an offensive rhythm, finishing with two points on 1-of-8 shooting (0-of-4 from three) and one assist in 16 minutes.
"They struggled to shoot the ball," Few continued. "They definitely have room for improvement after looking at those numbers." Few suggested that Bennett's eligibility uncertainty "might have impacted him a little bit," but there was no masking the rough afternoon for Gonzaga's backcourt.
Lee Makes His Case to Lead the Bulldogs
No one is going to make sweeping changes after a single exhibition game—especially with the team's best perimeter player sidelined—but one thing became clear on Saturday: Lee is critical to Gonzaga's success in 2026-27.
The 6-foot-4 point guard, who averaged 11.2 points last year at Florida—an SEC connection that drew plenty of boos from the Arkansas crowd—is the best facilitator and defender among the three. That was evident from his team-high plus-7 in the box score.
He will need to avoid foul trouble—which cost him a significant chunk of playing time in the second half—if he wants to stay on the floor this season. That would benefit not only his future but also the Zags' ability to reach their ceiling in 2026-27.
Gonzaga's next outing is a home exhibition game against Lewis-Clark State on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 6:00 PM PT. The game will be broadcast locally on KHQ.