2014 Gonzaga Basketball Recruiting: Donaven Dorsey

Nov. 12, 2012; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few signals his team against West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Donaven Dorsey is a player that could be a remedy to Gonzaga’s recent struggles in the NCAA Tournament. He is long, lanky, athletic, and can score the basketball at a high level. Gonzaga has been targeting this kid for a while now, and in my personal opinion, Dorsey is one of the most underrated players in the state of Washington. Here is how his recruitment stands and how he ties in with the Gonzaga Bulldogs

Some Basic Facts

Donaven Dorsey is a 6’6″, 180 pound small forward out of Timberline High School in Lacey, Washington, which is just outside of Olympia. He is ranked as a four star prospect by rivals and a three star by 247 sports. According to 247 Sports, and an article by the Olympian in December, Dorsey holds offers from Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, Portland State, and last but not least, the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Jason Mclearey from Left Coast Recruiting reported by twitter that Dorsey was on an unofficial visit to Washington last week. It appears that Lorenzo Romar and his staff has been recruiting him very hard in the last few months.

Donaven Dorsey plays his AAU ball for Team ICP, which is based out of Portland, Oregon.

What are Gonzaga’s Chances of Landing Dorsey?

My guess is that Dorsey will not make it out of the state of Washington, based on the way that the  Huskies, Cougars, and Bulldogs have been recruiting him throughout the past year.

Based on the amount of success the three programs of had in the past decade, Gonzaga would be the favorite. However, recruiting isn’t completely associated with past success. As I alluded to before in my article about 2014 Gonzaga target Josh Perkins, (You can read it here: https://westcoastconvo.com/2013/06/04/gonzaga-basketball-recruiting-josh-perkins/) there are several different aspects in recruiting that influence a recruits decision to go to a certain school.

Historically, Lorenzo Romar is known as a great recruiter, and Mark Few and his staff will likely have to go head to head with Romar’s staff in order to land Dorsey. Rumor has it that Few and Romar have some bad blood between them, so if a recruiting battle between Few and Romar for Dorsey were to unfold, it would be extremely entertaining and interesting.

How Would Dorsey Fit at Gonzaga?

In recent years, Gonzaga has been utilizing their wings as sharp shooters from outside. Most of them are liabilities on defense, and unable to do anything other than shoot (See: Drew Barham, Mathis Monninghoff, etc.). However, it is certainly not too late to change, and in fact, it might be necessary for someone such as Dorsey to play the small forward position for the Zags. He would add an athletic presence on the wing and on the perimeter that the Bulldogs simply have not had in a while.

Here is his highlight tape: