Oregon prep standout Ben Gregg commits to Gonzaga

Ben Gregg waited a long time before receiving a scholarship offer from Gonzaga. It didn’t take the Oregon prep standout long to decide the wait was worth it.

Gregg announced his commitment to GU via social media Wednesday with a 2-minute, 20-second video captioned: “Dreams to reality.”

It’ll be a homecoming of sorts for Gregg, who was born in Spokane and estimated at least 20 relatives reside in the area. Gregg’s dad, Matt, coached in Post Falls and at Freeman High before becoming the head women’s basketball coach 13 years ago at Warner Pacific, an NAIA school in Portland.

“Our family has been watching every one of Gonzaga’s games for as long as I can remember,” Gregg said. “Yeah, everybody is excited. My grandma has been begging to get it out of me, but I couldn’t tell her until today (Wednesday). I know she wanted me to go to Gonzaga.”

Gonzaga extended a scholarship offer to Gregg about three weeks ago, shortly after Paolo Banchero, a top-three recruit from Seattle’s O’Dea High, picked Duke over Gonzaga, Arizona, Washington, Kentucky and Tennessee.

“It was a little longer (wait) than I hoped, but God works in mysterious ways and I think it was His planning,” Gregg said. “They came at the right moment and it just felt right.”

Gregg picked Gonzaga over Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona, Cal and Virginia. He’s ranked No. 29 in the 2021 class by ESPN, No. 54 by 247sports composite and No. 73 by Rivals.com.

The 6-foot-10, 225-pound Gregg has a versatile skill set with a smooth shooting stroke from the perimeter, ball-handling ability and the size to work in the paint. He fits the mold of past GU forwards capable of operating inside and outside.

“One of the biggest factors for us is they tend to play through their stretch bigs,” Gregg said.

Gregg was named Oregon’s Gatorade Player of the Year last season after averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2 blocks as a junior at Clackamas High. Clackamas was among the 6A State title contenders before the tournament was canceled in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Gregg played his first two seasons at Portland’s Columbia Christian, helping the team capture a 2A State title as a freshman.

Gregg joins Kaden Perry, a 6-9 forward at Battle Ground (Washington) High, as future Zags. Gregg and Perry were teammates and roommates on the Rose City Rebels AAU team two summers ago. Perry, No. 61 in 247sports composite rankings, committed to the Zags in June 2019.

Gregg was planning to play for the Oakland Soldiers AAU program this summer, but the season was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent quarantine conditioning and working on his game.

“I was just trying to work on my body and get stronger, faster and more athletic,” Gregg said. “I put on 20 pounds since quarantine started, a lot of muscle, and I was able to get in the gym every day where my dad works.”

Gregg announced his commitment on his mother Kori’s birthday.

“She’s driven me around my whole life to AAU games, high school games,” Gregg said. “I don’t think she’s missed any of my high school games. She’s always been there for me, supportive and when times get rough she’s always there. I decided it was a good way to thank her for all of that.”