SPOKANE, Wash. — The Gonzaga Bulldogs somewhat unexpectedly had a scholarship spot open up earlier in July when class of 2023 prospect Alex Toohey opted to stay in Australia to play professionally. Mark Few and his staff struck quickly to fill the gap, however, adding former Kansas commit Marcus Adams Jr. who announced his commitment over the weekend.
Adams reclassified to the class of 2023, and ranks No. 48 in the class at 247Sports. Standing 6'8 and with elite athleticism, Adams has the tools to make an impact in Spokane right away, although he'll need a waiver to play in year one.
Because Adams had already enrolled in classes at Kansas, he was unable to simply decommit and head elsewhere, he had to enter the NCAA transfer portal, which is great news for Gonzaga as Locked on Zags host Andy Patton pointed out on the latest episode:
"Gonzaga has landed probably the most highly coveted type of player that you can add in today's era of college basketball," Patton said. "That is a player who has four years of eligibility and who is basically unable to transfer again."
Adams Jr. can of course transfer again should he choose to, but he would then either have to receive a waiver from the NCAA or else sit out a season, like transfers have historically had to do in college athletics until recently.
For Gonzaga, this lands them a player who can develop in the system, a system that has churned out many NBA talents after a few years of development - like Kelly Olynyk, Rui Hachimura, Corey Kispert, Julian Strawther, Joel Ayayi, and others.
Players willing to buy into multiyear development plans have been more difficult to find in recent years, with more student-athletes opting to look elsewhere if they don't find the playing time they desire early in their college careers.
Adams is more than just his status as one-time transfer, however, he's a 6'8 guard with explosive athleticism and high level shooting skills. He's very young for his age as a reclass, and as of now his status for eligibility next season remains in question.
Even if he is deemed eligible to play right away, it is expected he will be in a limited role in year one thanks to coach Few's limited rotations and the depth already on the roster. However, Adams could be the next great developmental success story in Spokane, and his tantalizing upside could lead to him being an all-time great when all is said and done.
Gonzaga still has two open scholarships, and continue to pursue a veteran guard to add via the portal after missing out on Jose Perez, who chose to stay at West Virginia.