Top-40 shooting guard Wesley Yates includes Gonzaga among final nine schools

Two days after Jamari Phillips indicated he was still considering a future with Gonzaga, another highly rated guard listed Mark Few’s program as one of his college finalists.

Wesley Yates, a four-star shooting guard in the 2023 recruiting class, included Gonzaga and eight other schools in a list released to On3 Recruiting’s Joe Tipton Saturday morning.

Yates’ other finalists are LSU, Arkansas, Texas, Stanford, Auburn, Baylor, Houston and Washington.

The Beaumont, Texas, native was offered by Gonzaga on April 25 and has plans to visit Spokane, but didn’t give an official date to On3. According to the website, Yates has already made official visits to Auburn, Stanford and Washington, and he’s taken unofficial trips to LSU, Baylor, Houston and Texas.

Yates, who’s considered the country’s 31st-rated overall prospect, the third-rated shooting guard and second-rated prospect in Texas, recently broke down his finalists during a conversation with On3.

“Gonzaga is always winning. They win a lot. That’s what I like; I like to win,” he said. “There’s not really much to do out there. That’s what I like about it. Pretty calm, cool, and just basketball. I feel like they develop pros, and all their pros have been staying in the league for a long time. So obviously, they’re doing something right.

“So just the way they develop their guards, let them play, shoot. They can come down and pull transition 3s; they do all that.”

Gonzaga’s only commitment in the 2023 class comes from Dusty Stromer, a four-star forward from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California.

Along with Yates, there are two other uncommitted players in the 2023 recruiting class – four-star forwards JJ Taylor and Kaden Cooper – who list an offer from Gonzaga.