Braeden Smith discusses getting weekly Gonzaga history lessons this offseason

Smith said the players have a duty to uphold the standard of Gonzaga basketball

Oct 5, 2024; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Braeden Smith (3) looks on during the three-point contest during Kraziness at the Kennel at the McCarthey Athletic Center. | James Snook-Imagn Images

Ask anyone who has spent time around Mark Few and Gonzaga basketball and they'll tell you the same thing: there's something special about this place.

While most other college basketball programs will offer vague platitudes boasting about a culture of accountability or a family atmosphere, Gonzaga proves year in and year out that things are a little different in Spokane.

One way the staff ensures that the intangibles that make Gonzaga unique don't fall by the wayside is simple: teach the new players the ways of the past. Gonzaga's projected starting point guard this upcoming season, Colgate transfer Braeden Smith, opened up about various aspects of his first full offseason in Spokane, which included getting an education in Gonzaga history during weekly meetings.

"This summer has been really big on Zag culture," Smith said. "Learning the history, learning the people who came before us, how this foundation was built, the shoulders that we stand on now today. TK (Gonzaga strength coach Travis Knight) has really led that with these Zag one-on-one meetings that we've had weekly throughout the summer where we were learning more about the program."

Few is entering his 26th season as the head coach, having taken this team to the NCAA Tournament every single year. From the plucky underdog teams of the early 2000s to the dominant, powerhouse squads in 2017 and 2021, Gonzaga has an incredibly rich hoops history - and an impossibly high standard of excellence.

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

Smith said the weekly lessons helped drive home just how truly high the expectations are in Spokane, and how it's a matter of pride to take that responsibility on when wearing Zag colors.

"The coaches talk about how the standard is the standard," Smith continued. "We got to uphold it, and it's our duty to do so, and so we take that with a lot of pride."

Gonzaga heads into the 2025-26 season with two key returners in the frontcourt in Graham Ike and Braden Huff, each of who have been in Spokane for multiple years. Outside of that, the Zags will be playing a lot of new faces, although three of them - Smith, Virginia transfer Jalen Warley, and Eastern Washington transfer Steele Venters - have been on the sideline absorbing the culture and learning the expectations for this program.

Gonzaga has not released their full non-conference schedule yet, but coach Few's team will begin the season at home against Texas Southern on Nov. 3, with a matchup against Oklahoma on Nov. 8 at the Spokane Arena and another home game against Big East foe Creighton on Nov. 11.

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