3 key takeaways from Gonzaga's exhibition game against Western Oregon

The Zags cruised to a 58 point win on Monday night in Spokane

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Tyon Grant-Foster. | Photo by Erik Smith

Monday was not your typical day for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

At 2:30 in the afternoon, 3.5 hours before Gonzaga's exhibition game against Western Oregon tipped off, a preliminary injunction hearing for transfer wing Tyon Grant-Foster got underway in Spokane County.

2.5 hours later, Judge Marla Polin granted the injunction, immediately making Grant-Foster eligible to play for Gonzaga and ending a months-long battle with the NCAA. Few and Grant-Foster jetted off to the McCArthey Athletic Center, arriving about 15 minutes before tip-off, where the Zags cruised to a 111-53 victory over the Wolves.

Grant-Foster even got in on the action, playing nine minutes for Gonzaga and scoring four points with three rebounds and an assist. He exited with about 10 minutes to go after rolling his ankle, although he looked to be okay on the bench during the end of the game.

The former WAC Player of the Year will get a crash course in Gonzaga's system over the next few weeks, having only been allowed to practice with the team for a week or so prior to Monday's hearing.

Fortunately, Gonzaga has plenty of depth on the wing, which was quite apparent on Monday. Davis Fogle once again showcased his outstanding scoring ability, while Emmanuel Innocenti returned after missing the first exhibition game and showed off his excellent defensive pressure and transition offense.

Gonzaga will now turn attention to the regular season, which gets going officially on Monday, Nov. 3 at 6:00 PM PT against Texas Southern.

Below are three takeaways from Gonzaga's exhibition win over Western Oregon:

1. Braden Huff is a Drew Timme-esque offensive hub

Huff was an absolutely dominating force in this game. He scored his 20th and 21st points on a bucket with 15:11 left in the second half, giving Gonzaga a 50-point lead. He played very little after that, ultimately finishing with those 21 points while shooting 8-10 from the field and 4-5 from the free throw line.

The big thing Huff showed in this game, however, was an ability to make reads with the ball in his hands, which included kickout passes that led to open threes for Steele Venters and Adam Miller. He showed the kind of patience, floor vision, and savviness with the ball that Drew Timme had during his four years in Spokane.

Huff will form a dynamic frontcourt duo with Graham Ike, with both showing the ability to facilitate as well as score around the rim and from the perimeter. Opponents are going to have a very hard time dealing with these two bigs all season long.

2. Davis Fogle needs to be in the rotation

'Fearless' is the word coach Few used to describe Davis Fogle after his 18-point performance against NAIA Northwest back on Oct. 19, a description that feels even more true after Monday's game.

Fogle finished with 13 points, relentlessly attacking the rim every time he touched the ball. He had nine first-half points on just 1-2 shooting, thanks to a perfect 7-7 showing from the free throw line.

In the second half, he showed some floor vision and playmaking as well, with a beautiful no look pass to Ismaila Diagne followed by an assist to a cutting Noah Haaland in transition.

The 6'7 wing is going to have a hard time finding consistent playing time for the Zags now that Grant-Foster is healthy, as he joins a crowded wing rotation that also includes Innocenti, Jalen Warley, Venters, and Miller.

However, more performances like what he's done in the two exhibition games should get him on the floor a fair amount this upcoming season - even as a true freshman.

3. Turnovers and transition

Gonzaga has been one of the highest scoring teams in the country the past decade not only because of elite efficiency by the post players in the halfcourt, but by scoring easy points at the rim in transition.

Guards like Andrew and Ryan Nembhard were effortlessly able to push the pace and create transition scoring opportunities, but it all started on the defensive end of the floor.

Gonzaga's defense caused Western Oregon to turn the ball over a whopping 22 times on Monday, which led to 36 points off turnovers, and heavily contributed to the team's 27 fast break points.

Sure the competition level will be better once the regular season rolls around, but this team was relentlessly hounding WOU's guards all game long and ran every opportunity they had. There's no reason to think that won't translate into game action, especially with tough point of attack defenders like Innocenti and Warley in the mix.