After a two year wait, Steele Venters is healthy and delivering for the Gonzaga Bulldogs

Early in the second half on Wednesday against Campbell, Gonzaga Bulldogs wing Steele Venters caught a pass from Graham Ike on the perimeter, pump faked a three to get his defender in the air, and began a drive toward the hoop.

No one would have blamed Venters, coming off two consecutive season-ending injuries, for going up with an easy lay-in, or even a short floater at the cup. Instead, the 6'7 wing took two dribbles and went up forcefully, tossing down a one-handed jam and sending Gonzaga's bench into a frenzy.

"Surprised myself, I'm not going to lie," Venters said with a chuckle after the game. "But it felt good."

Venters was not the only one surprised. While the former Big Sky Player of the Year is more than just a three point specialist, he's never been an above the rim player - and that was true even before he suffered a torn ACL in 2023 and an Achilles injury in 2024, forcing him to rehab for 24 months before finally stepping back on the floor this season.

Being able to dunk off one foot in traffic is one thing, but for Venters, it's more than that; he was willing to do so, and trusted that his body wouldn't betray him. For players who suffer significant injuries, especially ones that occur back to back, the mental recovery can be just as time consuming as the physical.

Venters showed on Wednesday that he feels in complete control physically and mentally, and that is tremendous news for Mark Few and Gonzaga heading into Sunday's tilt with the Oregon Ducks and one final ride in the WCC.

The 6'7 wing was Gonzaga's third leading scorer against Campbell, dropping 13 points on 5-6 shooting, including 3-4 from three, while tacking on a season-high three steals as well.

Dec 17, 2025; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Steele Venters (2) dunks the ball against Campbell Fighting Camels guard Jeremiah Johnson (2) in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. | James Snook-Imagn Images

He provides crucial floor spacing for this Gonzaga team, and on a squad with as much depth as anyone in the country, the senior has carved out consistent playing time thanks to his outside shooting, veteran presence, and understanding of his role within the team's offense.

"That's kind of my role on this team," Venters said of his three point shooting. "It helps all these guys create space, just me being able to space the floor, so, I'm always looking to hunt shots and always know the next one's going in."

After Wednesday's performance, the native of Ellensburg, WA is up to 39.2% from three on the year on 47 attempts, the second highest mark on the team behind Adam Miller (48).

Coach Few knows the value Venters brings offensively to this team, although he didn't shy away from mentioning his defense as an area he can improve as the team heads into conference play.

"He's got to keep working on keeping guys in front and not getting blow bys and helping us on that defensive end, too," Few said after the Campbell game on Wednesday. "It's not just all about shots, but the one thing with Steele that helps is he really does space the floor. I mean, they got to guard him if he's out at 30 feet."

Venters has started the last four games for Gonzaga, and that could continue with Miller, GU's other floor-spacing guard, missing the second half of Wednesday's game due to a tweaked ankle.

Whether he's starting or coming off the bench, Venters has an extremely valuable skill set for this Gonzaga team, and he'll be counted on to space the floor against an athletic Oregon team on Sunday at the Moda Center in Portland.

Who knows, he might even throw down a dunk or two for good measure.

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