4 key takeaways from Gonzaga's exhibition opener against Northwest

Gonzaga basketball is officially back.

The Bulldogs tipped off the 2025-26 season on Sunday, securing a 111-62 win over NAIA opponent Northwest — the first of two exhibition games for Mark Few's club before the regular season begins on Nov. 3 in Spokane against Texas Southern.

Gonzaga was without defensive specialist Emmanuel Innocenti, who is nursing a lower-body injury, as well as Tyon Grant-Foster, who was recently denied a waiver by the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility.

Grant-Foster will have a preliminary injunction hearing on Thursday in Spokane, which will provide more clarity on his status for this upcoming season.

Steele Venters started at small forward for Gonzaga, with Adam Miller and Braeden Smith in the backcourt and Graham Ike and Braden Huff in the frontcourt.

But everyone on the roster, sans Innocenti, suited up for Gonzaga in the blowout win, giving coach Few a chance to play multiple different lineups to see what best suits this team before the regular season begins.

Here are four key takeaways from Gonzaga's win over Northwest on Sunday.

1. Braeden Smith is ready to roll

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Braeden Smith (3). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Coach Few made it clear that Smith and Saint-Supery will compete for playing time at point guard this year, but it was a lot of Smith on Sunday — and for good reason.

The Colgate transfer, who redshirted last year while learning from Ryan Nembhard, had an outstanding first game in a Zag uniform, scoring 15 points and dishing out a team-high four assists while shooting 4-6 from the field, 2-4 from three, and 5-8 from the free throw line. He did most of his damage in the first half, while Saint-Supery found his groove late in the game.

Early foul trouble limited the freshman guard to zero points, zero shot attempts, and zero rebounds and assists in the first half. He was much better late in the second half, hitting a pair of threes and finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, and one assist.

Gonzaga will play plenty of both point guards this year, but Smith looks like the player ready to take on the lion's share of these minutes in the early going.

2. Frontcourt chemistry is top notch

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34). | Photo by Myk Crawford

No one doubted that the duo of Graham Ike and Braden Huff would shine in a game like this. But the chemistry these two players have playing alongside each other looked exceptional on Sunday, which is remarkable considering how rarely these two shared the floor last season.

Huff had three assists to Ike in the first three minutes of the game, including a pair of entry passes and a pass out to the three-point line. He finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists in 18 minutes, while Ike dominated with his usual efficiency and proclivity to get to the charity stripe — scoring 13 points with five rebounds while shooting 4-5 from the field and 4-4 from the line.

A play early in the second half showed exactly what makes this duo so dangerous. Huff caught an entry pass and felt a double-team coming as soon as he began dribbling. He picked up his dribble, Ike cut straight to the rim, and Huff hit him in stride for an easy lay-in and an and-1 opportunity. Teams will struggle to defend these two all season long, especially if they are making plays like that.

3. Jalen Warley is going to play the four

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Warley (8). | Photo by Erik Smith

Warley is one of Gonzaga's most versatile players, capable of defending 1-4 and playing multiple roles on offense. With Grant-Foster out of the picture, it seemed like Warley might settle into a role on the wing to help offset the loss.

Instead, Steele Venters and Davis Fogle played quite a bit at the three, while Warley played a lot of his minutes as a small-ball four. With Parker Jefferson not playing until the final five minutes, it seems all but certain that Warley will fill a valuable role as frontcourt depth this season, and he looked every bit the part on Sunday with nine points and 13 rebounds, many of which came on the offensive glass. He also had a tendency to grab defensive boards and immediately push the pace, which led to a beautiful bounce pass to Fogle for a big-time dunk.

He may not be much of a shooter, but his playmaking skills and tough, physical brand of basketball should make him a matchup issue for opposing teams down low.

4. Davis Fogle is a future star, and the future might be now

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Davis Fogle (4). | Photo by Erik Smith

Fogle was outstanding on Sunday, showing tons of confidence on both ends of the floor. He finished his first game in a Zag uniform, scoring a team-high 18 points on 8-12 shooting. He had a trio of dunks, including a great cut on a pass from Warley, and was relentlessly attacking the basket all game long.

Grant-Foster's uncertain status could lead to more playing time for Fogle this season, and the 4-star wing looked more than ready to contribute right away for this Gonzaga team.

Next up for Gonzaga is another exhibition game, this one against Division II Western Oregon on Oct. 27 at 6:00 PM at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

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