Brandon Clarke transfer: Gonzaga one of three teams

Brandon Clarke, a 6’8 forward transferring from San Jose State has declared Gonzaga, Washington State, and Oregon as the three schools he is looking at.

Clarke hasn’t given a reason for why he wants to transfer from SJSU, but it is a blow for the Spartans. He averaged 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks as a sophomore, making the Mountain West Conference’s All-Defensive team as well as being the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year.

Like Oregon, Gonzaga has done a stellar job of utilizing transfers, and Clarke would have two years of eligibility left after sitting out this year. His potential arrival would bolster a frontcourt that might need quite a bit of shoring up to do after this year. Johnathan Williams III will graduate after this season, and sophomores Killian Tillie and Rui Hachimura’s profiles have risen nicely this past summer during the FIBA U-19 World Championships.

At best, Gonzaga will lose Williams to graduation. At worst, the Zags will enter the 2018-19 season with a frontcourt consisting of Jacob Larsen, Jeremy Jones, and....Corey Kispert? The Zags have been trained on 2018 recruit Kamaka Hepa, but there would be plenty of room in the rotation for both Hepa and Clarke if Hepa decides to commit.