SPOKANE, Wash – A Spokane County judge handed the Gonzaga men’s basketball team a big victory Thursday with a ruling that clears forward Chauncey Wiggins to play this season.
Wiggins was the sole remaining Zags commit that remained ineligible because he had already played four seasons of college basketball. The rule changed in June 2026, but courts have disagreed in whether those who played four seasons before the rule change should be granted the extra year retroactively.
Wiggins initially joined a lawsuit in Georgia and then Texas, both resulting in rulings that kept the former Florida State star ineligible.
Court orders already cleared Gonzaga’s other fifth-year players, Javon Bennett and Xaivian Lee.
Judge Dean Chuang ruled that the NCAA failed to codify the rule to exclude players from Wiggins’ class from the five-for-five rule.
His ruling means Wiggins can play Saturday against LSU.
In court documents, Wiggins’ attorney Carl Oreskovich, who successfully argued last year to get Tyon Grant-Foster a year of eligibility, argues Wiggins is eligible under the NCAA’s five-for-five rule. He also points out 50 courts around the country have sided with players pushing for their eligibility.
Attorneys have argued Wiggins’ prospects will be harmed if he continues to miss out on opportunities in the national spotlight. Judge Chuang agreed with that assertion.
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