Gonzaga one of nine on Cal graduate transfer Kameron Rooks’ list

Gonzaga is in the mix for Cal graduate transfer Kameron Rooks, but the Zags have lots of company.

Rooks’ list includes San Diego State, Connecticut, St. John’s, Georgetown, Illinois, Iowa State, Saint Louis and Clemson, according to Full-Time Hoops.

Rooks, a 7-foot-1, 265-pound center, started 10 games last season, averaging a career-best 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds. He missed 10 games with a knee injury. As a junior, he averaged 3.6 points and a career-high 4.8 assists.

Rooks made 54.6 percent of his shots in three seasons. He wrote in a Twitter post last Thursday that he hopes to complete his degree this summer.

Jordan Mathews, a former teammate of Rooks at Cal, had a solid season for the 2017 Zags as a grad transfer.

The Zags lost three 7-foot centers from last year’s 37-2 team that fell to North Carolina in the national championship. Przemek Karnowski was a senior, freshman Zach Collins declared for the NBA draft and Ryan Edwards has decided to graduate and pursue a job.

Gonzaga’s frontcourt options include Jacob Larsen, who missed last season with a torn ACL, 6-10 rising sophomore Killian Tillie and 6-8 Rui Hachimura. Forward Johnathan Williams has declared for the draft but didn’t hire an agent, retaining the option of returning for his senior season.

The graduate transfer market thus far has been fairly thin compared to recent seasons. Quality forwards and centers are scarce. Most of the top guards don’t have West Coast ties.

Gonzaga offered Rooks coming out of Mission Hills High in San Marcos, California. Rooks’ late father, Sean, was a standout at Arizona and played 12 seasons in the NBA.

Rooks played for two coaches at Cal, beginning as a freshman with Mike Montgomery and then spending three years (one a redshirt season) with Cuonzo Martin. Martin left for Missouri in March and was replaced by Bears assistant coach Wyking Jones.