Securing Another Frenchman, Gonzaga Signs Experienced Point Guard to Roster
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Prioritizing backcourt play as they finish up building their 2026-27 roster, Gonzaga secured a commitment from Nathan De Sousa of France. [/caption]
Putting the finishing touches on their 2026-27 roster, the Gonzaga Bulldogs made another key addition to the backcourt, reportedly completing the recruitment of Nathan De Sousa from France.
The 6-3 point guard has spent the last six seasons playing professionally in his native country, breaking out this past year in the premier French league. De Sousa becomes the second player from France to join the Zags this offseason, as 18-year-old guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa finalized his commitment with GU last week.
With the new NCAA Division I Cabinet rules set in place, the 23-year-old will have only one year of eligibility since his ‘five-year window’ of finishing four seasons in five years started during the 2022-23 campaign. Part of a substantial roster overhaul, De Sousa will be the eighth Bulldog playing their first year in Spokane.
Starting as a 16-year-old for Espoir Cholet’s youth team, De Sousa initially struggled with his efficiency in all facets. Over his first two seasons in LNB Espoirs, he shot 38.5% from the field, 31% from three, and 67.3% from the charity stripe. He would move up to Cholet Basket in Jeep Elite, but didn’t post noteworthy production in a limited bench role. Where De Sousa did improve substantially in the U18 circuit, however, was as a facilitator, nearly doubling his assist rate from 17.7% to 31.3%. That aspect of De Sousa as a catalyst for creating offense for others is likely the biggest attribute the Zags were hunting for.
Last season, Mario Saint-Supéry got the brunt of the point guard minutes down the stretch and was truly the only option at the position who could simultaneously be a positive on the defensive end. But in the same breath, this responsibility took away from Saint-Supéry’s scoring prowess, which the Bulldogs tapped into more later in the year as he knocked down 40% of his 119 three-point attempts. Jack Kayil was intended to come in and take the pressure off the main ball-handling spot, but remained in the NBA Draft and was subsequently selected by the New York Knicks. Other incoming backcourt options like the aforementioned Ekanga-Ehawa and Houston transfer Isaiah Harwell are likely either too young for that responsibility or a bit of a wild card to bank on wholeheartedly.
With De Sousa, Gonzaga acquires someone who will be the oldest player on the roster and has been in countless situations as the lead ballhandler in the half-court.
In the 2022-23 season, De Sousa competed with Alliance Sports Alsace, once again playing as more of a reserve piece. Averaging 17.4 minutes over 29 games, he totaled 6.7 points per contest with a true shooting clip of 56.4%. De Sousa also posted the best steal rates of his career during his time in LNB Pro.
He returned to Cholet Basket for the following season, and that’s where he has played since, advancing as an offensive engine year-over-year. After logging 5.7 points and 5.1 assists per game last season, De Sousa’s numbers upticked to 10.9 points with 4.9 dimes during the 2025-26 campaign. Also notching career bests on qualified volume across the board, he finished his most recent season shooting 44.7% from the floor, 36.1% from deep, and 76.9% from the charity stripe, good for an astronomical 72.3% true shooting mark.
As he’s gotten more accustomed to the game’s physicality as an undersized guard, De Sousa has become more efficient inside the arc, showcasing strong touch on floaters and inside shots while finishing through contact. He also showed a knack for making tough shots over defenders and dishing out flashy passes, similar to Saint-Supéry.
Described as a high-energy, high-effort player, it can be expected for De Sousa to give the Zags a steadying veteran presence with strong, efficient production. Part of a team that has deep postseason aspirations, De Sousa can contribute in a multitude of ways for Gonzaga this season.
