Top-40 prospect Luca Foster chooses Gonzaga, giving Mark Few’s program its third October commitment
Good things come in threes, especially when you’re trying to build a college basketball recruiting class.
It’s been a month to remember for Gonzaga, which added to its 2026 recruiting class for the third time in October, picking up a commitment from top-40 wing Luca Foster one week after the Pennsylvania native took an official visit to the campus in Spokane.
The 6-foot-5, 185-pound Foster chose the Zags out of a group of finalists that also included Villanova, Oklahoma, Pitt, Georgetown, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon.
“I have the opportunity to play for a great coach and be developed into an NBA player,” Foster told Dushawn London of 247Sports.
Gonzaga might have a difficult time topping 2020 and 2021 recruiting classes that included prospects like Jalen Suggs, Chet Holmgren, Julian Strawther and Hunter Sallis, but the ‘26 class is already shaping up to be among the more impressive groups the school’s assembled, both in terms of quality and quantity.
Foster’s commitment on Saturday came on the heels of decisions from international guard Jack Kayil, who told he was Gonzaga-bound on the 1st day of the month, and four-star center Sam Funches, who made his college choice on Oct. 17, just two weeks after wrapping up his visit to the Pacific Northwest.
A native of Radnor, Pennsylvania, who currently plays for Missouri-based Link Academy, Foster is listed as the No. 37 overall prospect in the class of ‘26. The small forward is considered the 16th-best high school player at his position and No. 2 player in the state of Missouri.
Before trimming down his list of schools to nine, Foster was also contemplating offers from Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, Xavier, Seton Hall, Penn State, Miami and Virginia Tech.
Foster took his official visit to Gonzaga last Saturday and Sunday, taking in the team’s preseason exhibition against Northwest University from baseline with both of his parents.
On three different occasions, Gonzaga students occupying seats in the Kennel Club section made their recruiting pitch to the four-star prospect, chanting “We want Luca, we want Luca.”
The Zags continue to build depth at the small forward/wing positions, adding Foster to a group that could return junior Emmanuel Innocenti, David Fogle and potentially Steele Venters if the senior sharpshooter can obtain an additional year of eligibility.
Last summer, Foster played for Team Final on Nike’s EYBL AAU circuit, and was averaging 14.9 points and 3.5 rebounds for the team as of June 11. Foster played high school basketball for Archbishop Carroll in Pennsylvania his first before transferring to Link Academy, a prominent prep school in Branson, Missouri, for his senior year.
Foster possesses a long frame and is considered a three-level scorer who’s spent much of the last year refining his outside shooting.
“When evaluating Luca Foster, his positional frame at 6-5, reliable shooting, and ability to make decisive straight-line drives are impressive,” ESPN recruiting director wrote on X. “Combined with his work habits and talent, his potential becomes evident. He will thrive over time under Mark Few in Gonzaga’s system.”
Jamie Shaw, a recruiting analyst for On3.com, noted a few of the same attributes when breaking down Foster’s game.
“He is good in straight lines, getting out in transition with a purpose,” Shaw wrote. “He needs to continue developing off the bounce; being able to self create separation. Where his game has developed over past eight or so months is as a shooter. Foster is steadily becoming a reliable shooter, especially with his feet set.
“Working through footwork and balance will help him make plays more consistently off movement. He has upside as an off-ball defender. There is a lot of intrigue there and a low usage, productive wing with positional size and some pop.”