Gonzaga starting point guard Mario Saint-Supery signed a long-term deal with Valencia on Saturday, bolting for the EuroLeague after one season in Spokane. The 6-foot-4 Spaniard, nicknamed El Principito, averaged 8.6 points and shot 40% from three-point range while earning all-WCC freshman honors. He started the final eight games, dropping 21 points against Santa Clara in the conference title game and posting 13 assists against four turnovers in two NCAA tournament appearances.

The departure blindsides Mark Few's program weeks before its inaugural Pac-12 season. With the transfer portal closed, Gonzaga has no realistic path to replace a floor general who was slated to run the offense alongside Braden Huff, Davis Fogle and Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop. The Bulldogs haven't played outside the WCC since 1979, and Saint-Supery's exit strips experience from a backcourt navigating a power-conference jump.

The move also spotlights the 5-for-5 rule reshaping international recruitment. The NCAA policy starts an international player's eligibility clock at enrollment or the academic year after they turn 19, whichever comes first — effectively ending the pipeline of older European prospects to college rosters. Valencia's acquisition signals European clubs are now reclaiming talent that previously flowed toward NIL-fueled NCAA programs.

Saint-Supery gains immediate EuroLeague minutes at Roig Arena; Gonzaga scrambles for answers in July. The Bulldogs' national title ceiling just dropped, while Valencia secures a 19-year-old playmaker with proven high-major production.