Ismaila Diagne must step up for Gonzaga following Braden Huff's knee injury

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs were dealt a devastating blow to their season on Thursday with the news that star forward Braden Huff will miss 4-8 weeks after suffering a left knee injury in practice.

The full details around Huff's injury are unknown, although the team does hope to have him back before the end of the season.

Gonzaga turned to veteran Jalen Warley to take Huff's place in the starting lineup on Thursday, and Warley delivered with 11 points, four rebounds, four steals, three assists, and two blocks in 27 minutes in GU's 21-point win over Washington State in Pullman.

Warley will be asked to play more going forward, but his role as a tough-nosed defender, rebounder, and facilitator likely won't change much - meaning Gonzaga will need to find offense elsewhere.

More scoring responsibility will land on the shoulders of Graham Ike and Tyon Grant-Foster, the team's two leading scorers, with Huff on the shelf, while freshman Davis Fogle could step into a bigger role with Grant-Foster spending more time in Huff's spot.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff. | Photo by Erik Smith

However, one of the biggest wildcards for Gonzaga during this stretch will be sophomore big man Ismaila Diagne.

Diagne has played sparingly this season, appearing in 14 of Gonzaga's 18 games but playing just 6.7 minutes per contest, posting averages of 1.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. He played four minutes against Washington State on Thursday, grabbing one rebound, but was apparently dealing with a knee injury of his own, as reported by coach Few after the game.

"Izzo [Ismaila Diagne] actually banged up his knee earlier in the week, so we weren't quite sure if he could go, and those minutes of his were huge," Few said. "I thought he really helped us."

Diagne has one thing that Warley, Grant-Foster, and Fogle do not: size. The native of Senegal stands an imposing 7'0 and weighs in at 237 pounds, and one look at the team photo on Gonzaga's website shows how he stacks up to his teammates, Ike and Huff.

Gonzaga Bulldogs center Ismaila Diagne. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

While Diagne is still a project - he's played just 161 minutes across 24 games the past two years - the potential is clearly there and has been visible on occasion during his time in Spokane.

The most notable example was Diagne's surprise performance last year on the road against Santa Clara, when foul trouble sent Ike and Huff to the bench and forced coach Few to throw the youngster into the fray. Diagne responded by scoring nine points on perfect 4-4 shooting, while grabbing four rebounds and picking up a steal and a block in a career-high 18 minutes.

“I thought he was just tremendous, really changed the game,” Broncos coach Herb Sendek said. “Did a phenomenal job on the defensive end of the floor, terrific rim protection. I thought he was just outstanding for them.”

Diagne - who turned 19 less than a month ago - has done most of his damage this season in buy games, racking up six points, five rebounds, and four blocks in 16 minutes against Southern Utah and four points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in 22 minutes against North Florida.

Gonzaga Bulldogs center Ismaila Diagne (24). | Photo by Erik Smith

But the 7'0 footer has professional experience growing up in the Real Madrid system and starring for the U18 team in 2023-24 - even appearing in a pair of EuroLeague games as a 17-year-old - so the big stage won't be unfamiliar to him if, and when, his name is called over the next few months.

Gonzaga will likely lean primarily on Warley, Grant-Foster, and Fogle to fill Huff's role, but Diagne's size will come into play in matchups against bigger opponents - notably on Saturday, Jan. 31, when the Zags welcome Saint Mary's and their pair of 7'1 centers to town.

The big man should get some run this Saturday as well when Gonzaga squares off against Seattle University at Climate Pledge Arena, with tip slated for 7:00 PM PT on ESPN+.

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