Braden Huff returns to Gonzaga sideline ahead of Washington State game

Back on Jan. 15 - the last time Gonzaga faced Washington State - Braden Huff unexpectedly arrived in Pullman with crutches, which was followed by the team making the announcement fans were all afraid to hear: the star forward would miss 4-8 weeks with a left knee injury sustained in practice.

Three weeks and five days later, Huff has once again been sighted before a game between the Zags and Cougars...and unfortunately the crutches are still very much in use.

Huff has missed the last seven games for Gonzaga, a stretch which the team went 6-1 with the lone loss coming at the Chiles Center against the Portland Pilots last Wednesday. The 6'10 big man spent much of that time back home in Illinois resting and recovering, but he's made his way back to Spokane near the front end of the previously stated 4-8 week timeline.

However, coach Few didn't exactly inspire confidence in an impending return for the redshirt junior, when he said Huff is "not even close" to returning in his postgame presser after the Zags beat Oregon State on Saturday.

"We're waiting to make a final decision," Few said. "It's not even close right now, so we'll see. I think we're at week three right now."

It sure doesn't sound like Huff will be back on Saturday against Santa Clara - which is almost exactly the four week mark - and at this point expecting him back for the regular season finale in Moraga against Saint Mary's on Feb. 28 feels optimistic.

The tail end of the initial 4-8 week timeline is right around Selection Sunday - March 16 - meaning a return during the NCAA Tournament is theoretically possible.

Prior to the injury Huff was having the best season of his career, averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 69.7% on twos and 33.3% from three in 25.4 minutes across 18 games. He's been among the most efficient scorers in the country, and not having his offense as a low post threat has dramatically shifted the balance of this team on that end of the floor.

The Zags have relied heavily on Ike to pick up the slack offensively, and in the four games he has played in Huff's absence he has absolutely done that - averaging 28 points, eight rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 63.8% on over 17 field goal attempts per game.

Concerningly Ike has also played a ridiculous 36.8 minutes per game, far higher than his 28.1 MPG average in his first 17 games of the season. While the 6'9 big man said he 'felt great' after playing 39 minutes in Corvallis, he has been dealing with an ankle injury of his own which flared up against WSU and cost him Gonzaga's next three games.

Whether Gonzaga turns to sophomore Ismaila Diagne - who has played 15 combined minutes the past four games - or rolls with the small-ball lineup featuring Jalen Warley at the five against Washington State while Ike is on the bench remains to be seen, but it's clear the graduate senior needs more recovery time if he's going to be shouldering so much responsibility for Gonzaga in the foreseeable future.