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This fine fellow wearing a jersey number synonymous with the “not found” error page on websites is 6’10 walk-on Abe Eagle. I repeat, 6’10.
Eagle hails from Chaminade Prep out of West Hills, California. He finished his high school career with over 1,000 points and holds the school record for most field goals in a game.
Eagle is the second Gonzaga walk-on (joining Colby Brooks) with a decidedly not stereotypical walk-on size. Although he weighs just 220 pounds right now, his legitimate size will pay intense dividends in practice for Drew Timme and Oumar Ballo.
Judging by his mixtape, Eagle appears to have the proper fundamentals for a big man. He keeps the ball high, can utilize both his left and right hand on the finish, and does not look afraid of driving to the hoop on the baseline. As expected for every single human being who attempts to play college basketball nowadays, he also can shoot the three ball (how consistently, who knows).
A quick Google search of “Abe Eagle Gonzaga” will send you to the consistently optimistic GUBoards, in which one user references the journey of Frank Kaminsky, saying “Who knows, maybe lightening [sic] can strike twice, and this guy will be a late blooming [sic] star too.” Although a more measured approach would not be to compare Eagle to unanimous Player of the Year, 2015 NBA Draft lottery pick, and current Phoenix Sun Frank Kaminsky,
Eagle’s size, no matter what, means quite a bit. His profile suggests a similar playing style to Drew Timme, who echoes the Gonzaga big men of the late 90s and early 2000s. Whether or not Eagle sees the court is entirely up to him at the end of the day. He is clearly a well-rounded academic kid with an incredibly high GPA entering college—being a walk-on is a lot of work in a year that will be very weird.
That said, his skills look legitimate and his size is concrete. If Eagle is able to keep with it throughout the years, he very well could carve out a minor and consistent role for himself on the squad going forward.