Report: Houston guard Isiah Harwell commits to Gonzaga out of NCAA transfer portal

Houston guard Isiah Harwell has committed to Gonzaga out of the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Jeff Borzello. Harwell was a freshman with the Cougars this season.

He played in 32 games for Houston, though he did not record a start during the season. During that time, Harwell played an average 13.8 minutes per game, contributing in a reserve role off the bench.

Isiah Harwell averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 campaign. He shot just 27.1% from 3-point range, on decent volume at 85 total attempts.

Though he didn’t have a huge impact for Houston, Harwell did show what he was capable of a few times. He scored 20 points and pulled down four rebounds in a win over Jackson State in mid-December. That was his high-water mark for scoring.

That said, Isiah Harwell reached double figures in scoring three different times during the season. He logged 24 minutes in three of those contests, while logging 17 in another. Twice during the season he made four 3-pointers in a game.

Isiah Harwell a backcourt replacement?

Gonzaga lost one of its top players in the backcourt to the transfer portal this offseason. Guard Braeden Smith planned to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per On3’s Joe Tipton. Smith has one season of eligibility remaining.

Smith played in all 35 of Gonzaga’s games this past season. He averaged 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 17.1 minutes per game. The 6-foot guard shoot 46.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.

Smith redshirted during the 2024-25 season after transferring to Gonzaga from Colgate. Smith spent two seasons at Colgate, where he amassed 70 appearances, all of which were starts.

On3’s Grant Grubbs also contributed to this report.