First-time starter Braden Huff holds key to Gonzaga season

The Gonzaga Bulldogs may have a roster with only four players who played for this team last season, but two of them form what just might be the best starting frontcourt in all of college basketball.

Graham Ike is getting most of the attention, with a handful of media outlets projecting the 6'9 super senior as an All-American this upcoming season. However, the player who holds the key to Gonzaga reaching their ceiling this year is Braden Huff, who will enter the starting lineup after two years serving as Ike's backup.

Huff was barely a top 100 recruit when he committed to Gonzaga in September of 2021, and he redshirted his first year in Spokane behind a frontcourt that included Drew Timme, Anton Watson, Ben Gregg, and Efton Reid.

However, he made an immediate impact for Gonzaga when the 2023-24 season rolled around, scoring 19 points in the team's season-opening win over Yale and then dropping 23 against NAIA opponent Eastern Oregon in his second game.

Huff finished his first season in Spokane, averaging 9.3 points and 3.4 rebounds, while shooting a conference-leading 70.1% on two pointers and a respectable 33.8% from deep.

The 6'10 big man saw his role increase slightly last year, averaging 11 points in 16.7 minutes off the bench, although his efficiency dropped with a higher volume of attempts. The big change came toward the end of the season, when Huff was inserted into the starting lineup alongside Ike for a Gonzaga team hoping to change things up against Saint Mary's in the WCC championship, after losing to them twice in the regular season.

Oct 4, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34) shoots the ball against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Warley (8) during Numerica Kraziness in the Kennel at the McCarthey Athletic Center. | James Snook-Imagn Images

The move worked, as Huff dropped 18 points with four rebounds on 8-16 shooting, dominating against Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas and leading the Zags to a much-needed victory.

Huff also started both games in the NCAA Tournament, dropping 18 points with eight rebounds and two blocks against Georgia and 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the loss to Houston.

Now, Huff will start with Ike for a full season and is in line to have the best performance of his career as a junior. If he can stay on the floor and avoid foul trouble, Huff could play 25-30 minutes per game, and while Ike is the favorite to win WCC Player of the Year and lead this Gonzaga team in scoring, don't be surprised to see Huff in the mix for those things as well.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff and forward Graham Ike — Mar 29, 2024; Detroit, MN, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34) and forward Graham Ike (13) leave the court after being defeated by Purdue Boilermakers. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The big question for Huff is how he looks defensively. Gonzaga will likely play both bigs at the four and five interchangeably, depending on the matchup. However, neither is a great perimeter defender, and Gonzaga may struggle against teams that have bigs who can space the floor and put the ball on the deck. Huff will also need to improve as a rebounder and at drawing contact and getting to the free throw line, especially if he is going to play a bigger role down around the rim, which seems plausible now that Ike has developed more of an outside shot.

Gonzaga will need both Ike and Huff playing at an elite level offensively for this team to dominate the WCC and get back to the Sweet 16, as well as strong performances from first-year Zags Adam Miller, Braeden Smith, Jalen Warley, and Tyon Grant-Foster — if his waiver is approved.

However, Huff's growth on both ends of the floor is arguably the most important development for coach Few's team as they head into the 2025-26 season.

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