Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs remain on the hunt for more guard depth to add to the roster ahead of the upcoming 2025-26 college basketball season.
The Zags are pursuing two of the bigger remaining names on the market in USC’s Desmond Claude and Grand Canyon’s , as well as international guard Mario Saint-Supery, and now another name can be added to the list after The Portal Report revealed on Friday that Charleston guard AJ Smith has heard from Gonzaga.
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Temple, Fordham, New Mexico, and James Madison were the other schools reportedly in contact with Smith, who is planning to reach a decision soon.
The 6’4 guard from Charlotte began his college hoops career at The Citadel, breaking out as a sophomore in 2023-24 where he averaged 16.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 35.4% from three and 79.6% from the free throw line.
He then transferred to Charleston in the CAA, playing for veteran head coach Chris Mack on a Cougars team that went 24-9 but lost to UNC Wilmington in the conference semifinals.
Smith averaged a solid 11.5 points and 3.1 rebounds, but he shot just 19/76 (25%) from the three point line, a 10 percent drop from his sophomore campaign.
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Still, a veteran guard who has proven capable of scoring around the rim and getting to the free throw line makes sense as a target for Gonzaga as they look to fill out a new look backcourt that saw Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, and Khalif Battle exhaust eligibility while Dusty Stromer entered the transfer portal and landed at Grand Canyon.
Gonzaga will rely on redshirt guards Braeden Smith and Jalen Warley, as well as returners Emmanuel Innocenti and Steele Venters and newcomers Adam Miller from Arizona State and incoming freshman Davis Fogle to round out the backcourt as they head into their final season in the WCC before making the leap to the Pac-12 in 2026-27.
Related: Top 2026 Recruit and Gonzaga Target Postpones Visit to Kentucky
