Gonzaga announces Emmanuel Innocenti will join team for 2024-25 season

Emmanuel Innocenti, a 6-foot-5 Italian who started 33 games as a freshman with Tarleton State this past season, is officially a member of the Gonzaga men’s basketball program for the 2024-25 season, according to a news release.

Innocenti joins the Bulldogs after he was named to the All-WC defensive and freshman teams. The defensive specialist averaged 1.4 steals, the fourth-most in the Western Athletic Conference, to go with 6.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Innocenti was third in the league in defensive rebounds (188) and posted the fifth-highest defensive win shares (2.2).

Innocenti’s 59 total steals as a freshman was tied for the sixth-most in program history. 

Defensive versatility should earn Innocenti significant playing time in Gonzaga’s backcourt, which also features returning All-WCC guards Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman, Arkansas grad transfer Khalif Battle and Joe Few. There’s potential for Innocenti to play on the wing in a smaller lineup as well. Mark Few certainly has his options.

Along with Battle and Innocenti, the Bulldogs’ 2024 transfer portal class features 6-foot-7 wing Michael Ajayi, an All-WCC selection at Pepperdine in his first season of Division-I basketball. The Kent, Washington, native declared for the NBA Draft and went through the NBA Draft combine earlier this week, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see him return to college for his final year of eligibility. 

Innocenti is Gonzaga’s 10th scholarship player. Colgate transfer Braeden Smith, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, is also reportedly taking an official visit sometime in the next week. 

The Zags are set to return seven of their top eight scorers from last season’s Sweet 16 team, including four of five starters.

Prior to Tarleton State, Innocenti played four seasons for Stella Azzurra Roma (Italy) in the Italian third division Serie B. He also represented his home country on the U18 national team in 2022-23, as he averaged 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in seven games.