Gonzaga's Kraziness in the Kennel 2023: Luka Krajnovic shines in methodical intrasquad scrimmage
Gonzaga men's basketball is back. The 2023-24 college basketball season unofficially tipped off on Saturday with the annual Kraziness in the Kennel event, where fans were treated to a 3-point contest, skills competition and intrasquad scrimmage from the Bulldogs.
Following player introductions, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few addressed the sold-out McCarthey Athletic Center crowd ahead of the afternoon festivities.
"It's an incredible, awesome, awesome fall day and we packed this house here like it's a February game against Saint Mary's," Few said. "That's what makes this place the most incredible place to call home as a basketball program and I can't thank everyone enough in this program."
In the skills contest, Croatian guard Luka Krajnovic beat out Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard at the free-throw line, as the freshman nailed his second attempt before Nembhard could get his off.
Nolan Hickman battled through two shootout scenarios to take home the 3-point contest championship. The junior defeated Steele Venters in the first-round shootout before narrowly defeating Braden Huff in the finale. Huff forced a shootout on his last attempt to tie the score at 12. Hickman responded with a 14-for-20 showing in the ensuing shootout.
Huff paced all scorers in the White vs. Navy scrimmage, finishing with 19 points in a 52-38 win for team White.
Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga's annual Kraziness in the Kennel.
LUKA KRAJNOVIC SHINES IN INTRASQUAD SCRIMMAGE
Photo by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports
It didn't take long for Gonzaga fans to become familiar with the name Luka Krajnovic.
After flashing his ball-handling and passing abilities in the skills contest, the 6-foot-5 Croatian guard continued his hot afternoon in the White vs. Blue scrimmage. He finished with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field to go along with a pair of rebounds and one assist, all while looking the part of a 19-year-old with the maturity of a college basketball veteran.
Backdoor cuts, over-the-head crosscourt passes and numerous strong drives to the rim from Krajnovic fueled the White team's offensive attack. While sharing backcourt duties with Nolan Hickman, Krajnovic developed chemistry with Anton Watson and Ben Gregg in the pick-and-roll game, as he hit Gregg on a sweeping pass to the perimeter before finding a soft spot in the defense for an easy layup early in the scrimmage. Later, the Croatian dished out another look for Watson from deep.
Defensively, Krajnovic chased down Nembhard screen after screen, often being forced into switches to guard Braden Huff. The freshman held his own in both matchups, including a chase-down block on one of Nembhard's driving layup attempts. Huff had the size advantage at 6-foot-10, but Krajnovic didn't allow any easy layups or putbacks.
Given Gonzaga's backcourt depth, Krajnovic could serve backup guard minutes for Hickman or Nembhard during the regular season. He showcased enough athleticism and basketball IQ to run the offense with comfortability, something that many freshmen struggle with early on in their careers. Krajnovic, who played in the Croatian Premier League before coming to Gonzaga, played at a much faster pace than most his age.
BRADEN HUFF LOOKS TOUGH
Photo by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports
Drew Timme once dubbed Huff the "most annoying redshirt" Timme had ever played against in practice last season. On Saturday, fans got to witness the toughness and versatility of the 6-foot-10 redshirt freshman that Timme had been going up against in practice.
Huff's afternoon got off to a hot start in the 3-point contest, going 13-for-20 in the opening round to knock out Gregg before coming up clutch to force a shootout against Hickman. He cooled off in the finale, going 8-for-20 in a losing effort, but the lefty's buttery smooth stroke is reason to believe he can be a reliable stretch forward down the line.
Huff was assertive in the scrimmage, often looking to back down either Krajnovic in a switch or Colby Brooks from 15 feet away from the basket. Finishing with a scrimmage-high 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting, it was noticeable Huff had come a long way since he stepped foot on campus.
"I kind of see a lot of Drew [Timme] in him," Watson said of Huff. "He's so strong and once he gets to the left it's kind of automatic. But he's grown so much as a player in the last couple of years."
Huff will compete for minutes in the frontcourt behind Watson and Graham Ike, who sat out the Kraziness in the Kennel festivities out of precaution for the lower leg injury he suffered last season. Gonzaga has a track record of developing players coming out of a redshirt season, and Huff could add his name to the list in due time.
NEMBHARD FLASHES PLAYMAKING IN ROUGH SHOOTING DAY FOR BACKCOURT
Photo by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports
Many expect Gonzaga's offense to take a leap from last season with Nembhard running the show, and while the 6-foot guard didn't light it up shooting the ball, he flashed as a playmaker throughout the scrimmage.
Nembhard's control and poise in traffic were on full display, as he found Huff and Pavle Stosic underneath for numerous open looks after drawing the attention of the defense with his quickness. He finished with a scrimmage-high four assists, many of which came on tight-window passes that made him such a coveted guard in the transfer portal.
Nembhard didn't find a rhythm shooting the ball in a 2-for-10 showing from the floor. Gonzaga's guards struggled overall, with Steele Venters and Dusty Stromer combining to go 2-for-10 from the field. Hickman was able to create for himself with 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting.
In an off-shooting night, Nembhard was still valuable as a pure playmaker. Moving forward, his ability to knock down open shots off Hickman or Krajnovic will add another dimension to Gonzaga's offensive attack.
