Dusty Stromer’s Gonzaga run comes to a quiet close

The former four-star wing played 69 games in two seasons at Gonzaga, flashing potential that never quite had the time—or space—to bloom.

It’s gotta be tough to miss only one game in two years—and have it be the one night the arena’s handing out bobbleheads of you. But that’s kind of the story of Dusty Stromer: always there, always doing the work, but somehow just out of step with the spotlight.

After two seasons in Spokane, Dusty is transferring from Gonzaga to Grand Canyon University, a totally real and legitimate institute of higher learning. The 6’6 wing played in 69 of 70 games during his time with the Zags, a rare level of availability and trust for a young player in Few’s system, and entered his name into the transfer portal following Gonzaga’s 2nd round tournament loss to Houston.

Now he’s headed to Grand Canyon University—a program on the rise, with a growing national profile, and (depending on who you ask) an actual school.

The Hype

Stromer arrived with real expectations. A four-star prospect ranked No. 47 by 247Sports Composite and No. 34 by ESPN, he turned down offers from Arizona, UCLA, and Houston to become a Zag. After this last season, it’s easy to forget that Dusty came in as the 8th highest ranking recruits in program history

At Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, he led his team to a CIF Division I state title and its first Mission League championship in over two decades. He was named league MVP, twice made the L.A. Times All-Star team, and averaged over 20 points per game as a junior. He looked like a perfect fit for Gonzaga’s system—skilled, tough, long, and team-first. For a lot of fans—including me—he felt like he might eventually fill the vacancy left by Julian Strawther or Corey Kispert.

Instead, he became something murkier: a player who got opportunity early, held it longer than most, but never really stuck.

Freshman Year

Stromer didn’t ease into college basketball—he got thrown into it. When Steele Venters went down with a season-ending injury before the 2023–24 opener, Stromer was tapped to start. He opened the season in the starting five, logged 13 starts before being bumped to a bench role midway through.

He did what most high-profile recruits do in their first year at the D1 level: he had moments. He hit 35.8% from deep on the season, averaged 3.3 rebounds, and brought consistent effort, especially on the defensive side of the ball. According to Sports Reference, he ranked 8th in the WCC in defensive plus-minus (2.5), and finished top 20 in the conference in both defensive rating and block percentage as a true freshman. He wasn’t just surviving—he was helping, especially on that end.

But on offense, he never really looked fully comfortable in Gonzaga’s hyper-speed offensive attack. Stromer had been a primary shot creator in high school. Now he was off the ball, asked to cut, space, and score in a rhythm he never quite found. He often looked hesitant or rushed. And the stretches where he disappeared started to outweigh the flashes of potential.

When Ben Gregg was inserted into the starting five, Gonzaga took off—and Stromer began to slowly fade from his role in the offense.

The Sophomore Slide

Stromer entered his second year with a real opportunity. Once again, Gonzaga lost Steele Venters to a season-ending preseason injury—reshuffling the wing rotation and giving Stromer a second chance to grab hold of the spot. Early on, there were signs he might be turning a corner: he won the season-opening 3-point contest against veteran Nolan Hickman at Kraziness in the Kennel, he opened the season 3-of-5 from deep against Baylor, he scored a season-high of 12 against Portland in early January.

But the same issues persisted. His three-point shot looked shaky. He hadn’t gotten bigger or stronger since his freshman year and he struggled to consistently beat defenders off the bounce or finish through contact. He didn’t stretch the floor like a true shooter or create his own shot like a true bucket-getter. His defense remained commendable, and for a long stretch of the season he was just about all the Zags had in terms of reliable perimeter on-ball defesnse. But his offense stayed in the in-between—useful in theory, but hard to trust when the margins got tight.

By February, the writing was on the wall. On the season, Stromer averaged 17.5 minutes per game and chipped in 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds, but in Gonzaga’s final 11 games, he averaged fewer than 2 points per night and grabbed just 4 rebounds total while shooting 7-of-22 from the field. Over the final five games, he was sat squarely at the far end of a deep bench thanks to the emergence of Emmanuel Innocenti. By March, he was ninth or tenth in the rotation—passed over by players who brought more immediate answers defensively and more reliable buckets offensively.

Operation Desert Strom-er

Now, Dusty is headed to Phoenix to join Grand Canyon University.

Yes, that Grand Canyon University—the one with over 100,000 students, most of them online. The one with a “myth-busting” page on its website to reassure people it’s a real school. The one fined $37.7 million by the U.S. Department of Education for misleading grad students about tuition. The one that bailed on the WCC before paying what it owed. A program that’s winning a lot of basketball games but still gives off the vibe of a very successful multi-level marketing scheme.

But, credit where it’s due, the wins are real. Under Bryce Drew, GCU has made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and posted a 75% win rate since 2020. The school is also pouring resources into its basketball program—facilities, NIL infrastructure, staff—and it’s working. They’re not just competing; they’re becoming a destination. And for a player like Stromer, that’s meaningful.

He’ll likely get a clearer role at GCU, more freedom to look for and create his own shot, and a coaching staff that lets him play through mistakes. Add in stronger NIL possibilities, and the move makes sense. This isn’t a frustration transfer—it’s a fresh start for a once extremely promising young recruit.

A Quiet Goodbye

Nothing but respect and love for Dusty. The dude played his butt off for two years, got real minutes, real chances, and real trust from the coaching staff. He started games as a freshman, stayed in the rotation for nearly two full seasons, and showed flashes of becoming the player so many expected. But in the end, he got outpaced. By the close of this past season, his place in next year’s rotation had grown uncertain, and with the emergence of Emmanuel Innocenti and the long-awaited return/debut of Steele Venters, his minutes didn’t necessarily look to be trending towards “guaranteed” or even “way more than last year.” There’s always the portal, also, and there’s reason to believe Gonzaga might want to target a proven quantity (Rodney Rice?) instead of rolling the dice on another season of Stromer’s development.

Still, it’s hard not to wonder what might’ve come next. Maybe the leap was on its way. Maybe, in a different system with more freedom and a simpler role, he turns into next year’s version of Hunter Sallis—a high school phenom who spends a couple years at GU and eventually goes on to become a breakout scorer elsewhere, a high-effort wing, a second-round NBA name by spring. Stromer certainly has the tools and the raw talent. He just never found the right timing or context in Spokane.

But for two seasons, he showed up, stayed engaged, and did what was asked of him. He competed. He took his lumps from doubters and haters. And even as the rotation shifted around him, he kept trying to make it work. His effort was never in question. That kind of tenacity and focus deserves respect.

Best of luck to Dusty and here’s hoping there’s a clearer runway for takeoff in Phoenix.