Gonzaga’s long history of making fan favorites out of players who see so little action is impressive. Where will this year’s new walk-ons stand?
There are few moments in Gonzaga basketball more thrilling than the Taco Shot. For the uninitiated, if the Zags hit 10 three-pointers in a game, the entire crowd at the Kennel is rewarded with coupons for free Doritos Locos Tacos (courtesy of Taco Bell). These baskets almost always happen late in the game, after Coach Few has cleared the bench, and often come from one of Gonzaga’s unsung heroes: a walk-on.
Walk-ons are non-scholarship players who were not directly recruited by the program but were invited to try out for one of the open non-scholarship spots on the team’s roster. In addition to providing some emergency depth on the roster, they also compete against the team’s starters and second-stringers in practice; so it benefits a team tremendously to bring in the highest caliber players possible to fill those spots.
In recent memory, the most well-known and beloved walk-ons were the duo of Rem Bakamus and Dustin Triano. The two occasionally made SportsCenter highlight reels simply for their lively and occasionally puzzling coreographed responses from the bench to clutch moments in games they did not (and would not) even play in. They brought humor, energy, and enthusiasm to a game that can too often get tense and anxious. Similarly, Matthew Lang and Will Graves are Taco Shot legends who have each sunk several key buckets in late game situations for the Zags. Plenty of other GU walk-ons have also made huge contributions for the Bulldogs despite their limited minutes. It’s easy to forget that Mike Hart, David Stockton, Kyle Bankhead, and even Assistant Coach Brian Michaelson all started out as walk-ons.
This upcoming season, Gonzaga will have five walk-ons on their roster, three of whom are brand new to the team (the other two are practically veterans by now: Joe Few and Joaquim AruzMoore). We may not see much of the new walk-ons this season, but the Gonzaga bench is always worth paying attention to, even when those players are not on the floor. So, who are they?
Cade Orness
Orness joins the Zags as a preferred walk-on, meaning he did not have to try out for the team but does not receive an athletic scholarship from the school. The 6’5” point guard enters the program from Poulsbo, Washington, where he stands as the leading scorer in North Kitsap High School basketball history (1,821 Points). He was named the 2024 Olympic League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year while leading the Vikings to the WIAA Class 2A state semifinals. He is athletic, strong, and can get from the perimeter to the rim with tenacity and finesse, calling to mind another fan favorite (and native Washingtonian), Corey Kispert.
It’s always nice to see a local kid get a shot from a program like Gonzaga. Orness brings defensive toughness, grit, and some much-needed depth at the point guard spot in the absence of Luka Krajnovic (now playing professionally in his native Croatia). It’s possible that Orness clocks a few more minutes per game this year than Krajnovic did, but it’s more likely we will see him come in off the bench in late-game blowouts to gain some experience running the show on his own.
Graydon Lemke
Lemke joins the Bulldogs from Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas. He was one of the first commitments signed this year once all of Gonzaga’s 13 scholarship spots had been filled. For a walk-on, the excitement among fans was palpable when his signing was announced. Like many walk-ons before him, Graydon Lemke is no slouch.
Lemke is a 6’11” small/power forward who weighs 190 lbs and seems to still be growing. With his height, it’s hard to imagine he’ll end up playing anywhere other than down low, but he also has a silky jumper and surprisingly good hands for a player of his size. He’s a real threat from the perimeter and is skilled at pulling opposing big men out of position with his range.
Lemke was named Mountain League MVP last year and received a nomination for the Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award, an accolade given each year to players and coaches whose excellence of character extends well beyond the court. The honor is hard-earned for Lemke, who, in June 2022, lost his father to illness received the news of his mother’s brain cancer diagnosis only a couple months later (she has since recovered, thankfully).
In Lemke’s junior year at Faith Lutheran, he suffered an Achilles injury that sidelined him for most of the season, but he came back with a vengeance the following year. In his senior year, Lemke shot 51% from deep, averaged over 17 points on 55% shooting from the field, and posted 90% from the free-throw line. At plenty of other NCAA programs, these numbers would earn Lemke a guaranteed starting spot, but he elected to bet on himself and come to Gonzaga to compete for minutes against Gonzaga’s already stacked frontcourt. It’s been a tough road for Lemke, and fans will certainly respond to his strength of character as well as his high level play.
Of all of Gonzaga’s 2024 walk-ons, Lemke is the one with the best chance to see some legitimate playing time, and with his dead-eyed sharpshooting, it’s likely that he will be a key factor in the Bulldogs’ ability to move tacos into the stomachs of their fans.
Noah Haaland
Yet another preferred walk-on, Noah Haaland joins the Zags as a transfer after spending his previous three seasons at Allan Hancock College, a junior college in Santa Maria, California. He stands at 6’9” and 245 lbs and with his size will certainly give our rontcourt some competition during practice. Last year, Haaland averaged about 20 minutes per game and put up 7.4 points while grabbing 4.4 rebounds.
Because Haaland has battled some injuries, his most recent college stats don’t fully reflect his skill or potential. While playing for Lakeland High School in Rathdrum, Idaho, Haaland was an absolute stud. He earned All 4A Inland Empire League honors in both his junior and senior seasons and gave opposing offenses fits with his quick feet and excellent body control. He’s a big defensive minded player with size and strength to spare.
Haaland’s family ties to Gonzaga are extensive, also. His father, Dale Haaland, played basketball for the Zags from 1985-1987 (averaging 10 points and 6.7 rebounds per game). His mother, Robyn Benson, played volleyball for GU from 1985-1986.
Haaland prides himself on his defensive mobility, focus, and work ethic. It’s nice to see a player who has faced so much adversity at the JUCO level get a shot with one of the best teams in college basketball, and it’s rare that a kid from Rathdrum finds themselves playing for one of the best basketball minds in the history of the sport. It’s exciting to consider just how much a player of his size and character could improve during his time at GU.
This year’s walk-ons are among the most skilled groups Gonzaga has brought in. In terms of minutes, there will likely be only table scraps leftover for Few, AruzMoore, Haaland, Lemke, and Orness once the other 11 active roster members have seen some action. Regardless, this year’s incoming class of walk-ons offer size, athleticism, and versatility in ways that will be crucial to the Bulldogs’ success this year. More than anything, this year’s walk-ons offer fans a lot to root for, because it’s not just about the tacos, man.