Out of the 2026 recruiting class, Sam Funches is one of the top centers to be found across the nation. According to On3, the 7-0, 220-pound big man is ranked as the No. 39 overall recruit, No. 3 player at his position, and No. 1 from the state of Mississippi.
When speaking with Funches about his thoughts on Gonzaga, he recalled the success that the program has had over the last decade.
“They’re just a great team. I’ve heard about the nine consecutive Sweet Sixteens under Mark Few. You have a whole lot of bigs that have made it to the NBA. You got Chet Holmgren playing in the Western Conference Finals.”
Gonzaga assistant coach R-Jay Barsh is the one who has been dealing with his recruitment process the most. He gave Funches the offer back in April. The two seem to be on the same page, with his development being the main focus of what Funches wants from his choice in a college.
“He was talking about my development. Mainly development. It was something along the lines of like it’s not about what you do, but it’s about how you do it… They go 110 percent.”
Funches is playing with Team Sipp United on the NXT Pro Circuit with Puma. In his most recent sessions in Memphis and Wichita, he showed off his efficiency when it comes to stretching out the floor. His unique ability as such a tall and lanky prospect to pick and pop, along with a soft touch around the rim, is what stands out the most.
“Well, it’s kind of ironic because in Wichita, I didn’t shoot so great. But I tried to affect the game in other ways. Offensive boards, running the floor, help running the offense.”
In over a decade of doing this, I’ve never seen a 7-footer shoot it as efficiently as Sam Funches. He went 66.7% from three this weekend while nearly averaging a double-double. For years, his full arsenal hasn’t always been on display but now it’s showing. One word: Special.… pic.twitter.com/fkZjE8Gkip
— Matt Reynolds (@MattReynolds___) May 9, 2025
The reason that Funches missed his original official visit with the Zags back in February because Germantown was playing for a Mississippi high school state championship. Germantown ended up winning the MHSAA Class 7A state championship, the first in program history. In the 69-52 victory over Madison Central, Funches had 16 points.
“I just want to win another championship in my senior season. I feel like it’s going to be a failure if it’s anything short of a district championship and a state championship. But everything else, I’m just looking at development, just being the best I can be. I’m really big on that.”
His father is dealing with more of the technical details when it comes to scheduling official visits across the country. Funches has already taken official visits with the Kansas Jayhawks, Ole Miss Rebels, and California Golden Bears. Along with the looming trip to Spokane, he’s planning visits with the Vanderbilt Commodores, LSU Tigers, and Mississippi State Bulldogs. The actual decision date won’t come for a while.
“I don’t really have a timetable, but I could see myself deciding in December, maybe sometime in the spring.”
Funches will be deciding two tentative dates for his Gonzaga official visit, either June 27th-29th during Spokane Hoopfest or the weekend of Kraziness in the Kennel, which should be taking place during the first week of October.
Along with Funches in the Class of 2026, Gonzaga is targeting No. 1 Tyran Stokes, No. 12 Toni Bryant, No. 55 Dean Rueckert, and No. 172 Kohl Rosario (rankings per On3). Stokes is also setting up an official visit with the Zags.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho
