Braden Huff, Dusty Stromer react to Gonzaga's win over Kansas: 'So many people counted us out'

Gonzaga's freshmen had a big impact in their two NCAA Tournament wins

Gonzaga freshmen Braden Huff and Dusty Stromer. / Chris Gardner/GettyImages

SALT LAKE CITY - Braden Huff and Dusty Stromer have had to adapt on the fly throughout their freshmen seasons with the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Stromer, a former top-50 recruit, had to immediately shoulder a heavy burden when Steele Venters went down with an ACL injury days before the season opener. Initially expected to come off the bench for a few minutes a night, Stromer was suddenly inserted into the starting lineup from day one - and even logged 40 minutes in his fifth game of college at the Maui Invitational. The 6-foot-7 wing started 15 of the first 16 games and averaged 28 minutes before Mark Few decided to make a lineup change that called for Ben Gregg to take Stromer’s place in the starting lineup.

Huff was never called upon to start, but he’s had to adjust to sporadic minutes based on matchups and foul trouble. One night he’ll log 23 minutes, the next he’ll play eight. He’s gone from two points one night against Saint Mary’s to 25 points against Portland just days later. Balancing roles and responsibilities game-by-game is hard enough for a first-year player, let alone on a team with postseason expectations.

Now in the NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga’s freshmen haven’t let the moment get the best of them. Stromer came out firing in the Zags’ opening-round win with 10 points and a pair of 3-pointers against McNeese State. Two nights later it was Huff’s turn to lead the team in scoring in the first half, as the 6-foot-10 post had 11 points before halftime in a matchup with All-American Hunter Dickinson and Kansas.

“He’s a great player,” Huff said of Dickinson. “I think we had a good game plan, just put him in a lot of actions. Ryan (Nembhard) and Nolan (Hickman) are super unselfish guys so they’re going to find me with open looks and some easy ones too. Offensively he’s a lot so just do whatever I can to hold him.”

Here’s more of what Gonzaga’s freshmen had to say after the win:

Stromer on his mentality coming into the game:

“Give the team all I can, give the team energy. Come in and do what I do, block shots, run around cause havoc on defense. Just give the team a lot of energy.”

Stromer and Huff on which upperclassmen they look up to for leadership:

Stromer: “There’s been a ton of moments [with Nolan Hickman]. He’s been the guy that’s been right behind me, sticking up for me, just helping me get through the tough times.”

Huff: “A lot of those bigs. I mean Graham and Anton have played a ton in college. Ben last year had a similar role to me so I look up to all those guys. Even Dusty, I go to. We’ve both had our ups and downs so just to have him to lean on - he’s been big too.”

Stromer and Huff on facing the pressure that comes with playing at Gonzaga:

Huff: “It’s honestly been a ton of fun. Like you said this is my first year playing. Last year I was just on the bench for all this and, you know, I mean, that was great too. It was a great learning experience to watch these guys approach it and everything. But to finally be a part of it and be on the court for it, I’m soaking in every moment and it’s been been great."

Stromer: “I’d say just the fact that so many people counted us out, it feels even more special to make it and especially to play against Kansas, you know, a blueblood in order to make sure the Sweet 16 is special.”