THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Zags might have too many dudes

It took a while.

Mark Few finally has his fresh, talented team together, but these new Zags might take a few lumps early in the season.

Few personally escorted his final scholarship player to campus on Monday, following an hours-long court hearing that wound up with 6-7 wing scorer Tyon Grant-Foster being given the extra year of eligibility that he’s fought to win all summer.

Coach and player arrived at the Kennel almost at tipoff, and minutes later, they were busy in the Zags’ 111-53 thrashing of Western Oregon — the last exhibition before the regular season starts Monday with Texas Southern coming to town.

The schedule gets serious without much delay after that, with Oklahoma visiting Spokane Arena on Nov. 8 and a loaded Creighton team arriving three days later.

Besides the front-loaded schedule, why might the Zags stutter a bit in the first month of the season?

Well, the back-and-forth saga of Grant-Foster, a transfer from Grand Canyon who averaged 18 points per game over two seasons, has been a pretty obvious pothole.

ADDING Grant-Foster to the official roster gives Few the deepest team he’s ever had — which sounds great, but leaves the coach with a headache as he’s sorting out different lineup combinations.

Sports Illustrated pegged Gonzaga at No. 24 in its preseason rankings, and noted immediately that the Zags have routinely been considerably higher than the mid-20s.

So, why so low this year, especially with the return of front-court scorers Graham Ike and Braden Huff?

Sorting out the rotations will be an obvious issue, but SI specifically noted that Few likely will need some time to get Zag-level point guard play.

Redshirt transfer Braeden Smith came from Colgate a year ago, and practiced for that season behind Ryan Nembhard.

Smith was the conference player of year at Colgate, but that’s a serious drop in competition.

No one is quite certain how Smith, who is only 6-foot, can handle the keys to the Zags’ high-powered machine.

In fact, Gonzaga eventually might be better when Spanish import Mario Saint-Supery, a 6-3 all-purpose guard, learns the system and plays his way into the lineup.

Ahead of Smith?

Alongside him?

Few needs to work it all out, and Saint-Supery hasn’t been on campus all that long — having been summoned for duty on the Spanish national team.

That’s the talent level we’re talking about here, Saint-Supery considered a cinch NBA player down the road.

If only Few had all his guys available from the beginning of camp, we’d know a whole lot more about how this gang will fit together.

Ike and Huff obviously will take over the paint, aided by the improving Ismaila Diagne, and we know who will be learning the complicated guard roles.

WE CAN call the rest of the roster “wing and swing.” 

There’s a full platoon of candidates who offer shooting, defense, rebounding — but so far, not a combination of everything.

Emmanuel Innocenti got plenty of playing time a year ago, almost entirely on his flypaper defense.

Steele Venters and his long range is back after two years away with separate injuries.

Venters’ 3-pointers very well might have changed the fate of last year’s Zags.

There’s another redshirt in the picture, Jalen Warley, that the staff hopes can add athleticism to the front line.

If you’re thinking that Few rarely uses this many bodies in his usual rotation, you’re getting a decent view of his problem.

We haven’t even mentioned another freshman, Davis Fogle, or Arizona State transfer Adam (Ace) Miller.

Miller has a legit chance to start at shooting guard.

Gonzaga was hurting for a 3-point game last year, and even without massive surprises, Venters and Miller are proven long-distance shooters.

There are SO many ways this group of Zags might be most effective.

Few seemed thrilled on Monday, having added Grant-Foster.

In case it’s slipped your mind, this is the sort of roster that Few and his staff have turned into Final Four teams.

There’s excitement at Gonzaga again.

Sports Illustrated may have been headed in the right direction when it second-guessed its own ranking.

The Zags should have been higher.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”