> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Houston Transfer, Former Five-Star Recruit Isiah Harwell Commits to Gonzaga - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/houston-transfer-former-five-star-isiah-harwell-commits-gonzaga-bulldogs/ - Published: 2026-04-13T19:33:45.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:53:16.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: News, Analysis, Gonzaga Men's Basketball, Isiah Harwell Before he committed to Houston out of high school in September 2024, Isiah Harwell had the Gonzaga Bulldogs as one of his four finalists, along with Texas and California. About a year and a half later, the 6-6 guard turned back to that list, committing to transfer to the Zags after his freshman season with the Cougars. First reported by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Harwell made the decision official with an Instagram post, captioned “Go Zags!!!” He is the first portal addition for GU in what will surely be a busy offseason. A five-star prospect and ranked in the consensus top 20 of his class, Harwell showcased elite ability on both sides of the ball coming out of Utah’s Wasatch Academy. He suffered an ACL tear prior to his senior season, which was eventually reaggravated and lingered into his first year with the Cougs. The nagging injury led to increased inefficiency and a decrease in playing time down the stretch, but Gonzaga now looks to bring out the best of Harwell. In his final season with Wasatch, Harwell was the Tigers’ leading scorer, averaging 17.4 pts, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists a game, while shooting 49% from the field and 43% from deep. Named a McDonald’s All-American and Utah’s Gatorade Player of the Year, he garnered substantial NBA draft stock before he stepped onto a collegiate court. In the McDonald’s game, Harwell scored a team-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including going 4-of-7 from three, with four rebounds and a couple of assists and steals apiece. He also competed with the U-16 FIBA Americas Championships in Mexico, where Team USA took home a gold medal. Due to the lingering effects of his ACL tear, Harwell didn’t get a clean transition from high school to college. He didn’t participate in Houston’s summer workouts and wasn’t physically ready for on-court activities until the fall. “I think the thing that hurt Isiah is we never got a chance to develop him,” said Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson in a recent Zoom meeting with local reporters. “He tore his ACL and then had complications from it. He re-injured it during the McDonald’s game…We felt like Isiah had a great chance to be in the rotation but unfortunately he wasn’t available when we were having our toughest practices early.” “…Whoever gets Isiah is getting a great kid, and there’s a really, really good player in there too.” > [View this post on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXDOxwbDsY0/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading) > > [A post shared by Zai (@isiah\_harwell1)](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXDOxwbDsY0/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed&utm%5Fcampaign=loading) The Pocatello, Idaho native was the Cougars’ sixth man for a good chunk of the year. Harwell averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 32 contests, earning almost 14 minutes per night. Continuing to be riddled by injury, he dealt with separate head and ankle ailments that compounded the reality that he was still just getting his legs under him. Despite being heralded for his shotmaking ability both inside and outside the arc, Harwell shot just 27.9% from the floor and 27.1% from distance. After logging 14 minutes in a Feb. 21 loss to Arizona, Harwell didn’t play more than six minutes in seven of Houston’s final 10 games, registering three ‘DNPs’ during the stretch as well. At his best, Harwell has shown a strong ability to knock down tough mid-range jumpers and stretch the floor from the perimeter on catch-and-shoot attempts. Shooting from inside the arc has been his bread-and-butter as he has patented turnaround and fading shots in his arsenal. Getting good lift on the height of his jumpshot with above-average speed and fluidity, Harwell could be a welcome addition to a Zags’ rotation that has lacked shooting precision each of the last two seasons. He wasn’t particularly effective going downhill or at the rim, with many of his attempts near the basket coming from cuts and more indirectly than driving and attacking on his own. At Gonzaga, he will likely be coached to move more off-the-ball as he has the frame and size to be a capable threat moving through traffic. Possessing an 82-inch wingspan and listed at 220 pounds, Harwell can be a strong defender as well, likely a big component of why he was attractive to Houston. Most of his production defensively came off-the-ball, as Harwell’s length made him a pest in passing lanes without needing to leave his primary assignment. It will be interesting to see how he will be deployed on defense in Spokane, as Harwell didn’t show the speed or athleticism to stick with quicker, craftier, ball-handlers that he would face often if he got more point-of-attack opportunities. The current bodies in Gonzaga’s backcourt include another player entering year two in Mario Saint-Supéry, who projects as the team’s point guard, and incoming freshman Jack Kayil, another ball-handling option in the half-court. Harwell likely won’t be asked to be on-ball frequently, and he could be the Bulldogs’ sixth man to provide shooting and defense due to Davis Fogle and Braden Huff returning as starters, with another frontcourt addition looming. Banking on getting him healthy and maximizing his talent, the Zags hope Harwell, in a refined role, can be a major factor on both ends in 2026-27.