Mark Few shares concerning update on Gonzaga forward Braden Huff

Huff won't return before the end of the regular season, and could miss the rest of the year

Gonzaga Bulldogs foward Braden Huff. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs were absolutely rolling heading into a mid-January matchup against the Washington State Cougars. The Zags sat 17-1 overall and a perfect 5-0 in conference play, coming off a big-time home win over Santa Clara.

However, about an hour before tipping off in Pullman, it was revealed that star forward Braden Huff, then Gonzaga's leading scorer, had suffered an injury to his left knee in practice and would be out 4-8 weeks.

Gonzaga has survived without Huff over the last month, going 8-1 with wins over Saint Mary's and Santa Clara, with a shocking road loss to Portland the lone blemish. And with four regular-season games remaining, including road trips to San Francisco and Saint Mary's, it would be an ideal time for Huff to get back out onto the floor to get into game shape before the WCC and NCAA Tournaments.

Unfortunately, a recent update from coach Few made it clear that won't be happening anytime soon.

Few, making his weekly television appearance on "The Mark Few Show", said Huff is still a month out from returning to the floor, putting him in serious doubt of returning before the conclusion of the season.

“We said four to eight weeks, it’ll be at least eight,” Few told host Greg Heister. “He’s still on crutches, we’ll get him off crutches here in a little while. As that progresses, we’ll see how it’s going. He’s a long ways away from getting back, but hopefully. Who knows.”

Eight weeks from the initial injury is roughly March 16, which eliminates the possibility of Huff returning for Gonzaga's regular season finale in Moraga against Saint Mary's on Feb. 28, and for the WCC Tournament, which runs from March 5-10 in Las Vegas.

The first round of the NCAA Tournament begins March 19 and 20, making this a possibility for the 6'10 forward's return to the court - assuming he continues to progress.

Huff spent a few weeks back home in the Chicago area following the injury, but he returned to Spokane last week to attend the team's home game against Washington State on Tuesday and even traveled to Santa Clara to watch the Zags pick up a massive Quad 1 win at the Leavey Center.

In both instances, Huff was not putting any weight on his left leg and relied heavily on crutches.

Gonzaga's offense has struggled since Huff's injury, even with the 8-1 overall record. The Zags averaged 91.4 points and shot 59.5% on twos and 36.9% from three in the first 18 games of the season, but have regressed to 80 PPG on 57.5% on twos and a paltry 28.1% from beyond the arc.

Huff was in the midst of the best season of his three-year career in Spokane, averaging career-highs in points (17.8), rebounds (5.6), and assists (1.5), while shooting 69.7% on two pointers and 33.3% from three. He dropped a career-high 37 points against Campbell back on Dec. 17 and scored 20 or more points in eight of his 18 games before going down with the injury.

Gonzaga will once again rely heavily on Graham Ike to shoulder the load offensively, which he has done admirably in Huff's absence. Ike missed three games of his own with an ankle injury, but in his last seven games, the 6'9 big man is averaging 26.7 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 69.4% on twos and 53.8% (7-13) from three.

The Aurora, CO native missed Gonzaga's home game against San Francisco, which the Zags won 68-66, but will be a force in the matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the Chase Center. The game is set to tip at 8:00 PM PT and will be broadcast on ESPN2.