Figuring out the pieces of the puzzle in this extensive Gonzaga rotation is going to take some patience. Some time will be needed before everything starts to click on all cylinders, but tonight’s opening statement win proved that it’s going to be a fun problem to solve.
Coach Mark Few’s starting lineup in the season opener against the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Texas Southern Tigers was as follows:
Redshirt junior guard Braeden Smith
Graduate student wing Tyon Grant-Foster
Junior wing Emmanuel Innocenti
Redshirt junior forward Braden Huff
Graduate student forward Graham Ike
This lineup struggled in the beginning (0-for-5 from the field), with the nerves getting the best of them before graduate student guard Adam Miller (13 points on 5-for-8 shooting, 3-for-5 with his three-point attempts) was the first substitution of the night. His three-point shooting ability spreads out the floor, something that was lacking with the starting five. Miller’s vast college basketball experience across the Big Ten Conference, Southeastern Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and Big 12 Conference will be something that Few has to lean on throughout.
Few later stated postgame that an assistant accidentally wrote in Grant-Foster’s name instead of Miller on the starting lineup card. That’s the first time something like that has ever happened in his 37 years working for the school.
The offensive pace seemed to be more under control by the Tigers at the outset of the first half. The Zags were out of rhythm while trying to go a 100 miles an hour at the inception of this matchup. Despite Smith getting the start (four assists/one turnover in 17 minutes), freshman guard Mario Saint-Supery played more off the bench (three assists/one turnover in 19 minutes). The Spaniard is still getting used to the American game, forcing passes into tight windows when he should’ve pulled it back out and reset the offense.
Senior guard Zaire Hayes, Texas Southern’s top returning scorer at 10.4 points per game on a shooting split of 46.8 percent from the field/42.0 percent on three-pointers/84.1 percent from the free throw line, wasn’t available for an undisclosed reason and couldn’t be spotted on the bench. That played a factor in legendary coach Johnny Jones’ confidence with his unit and the Gonzaga comeback about halfway through the first half.
Grant-Foster (game-high 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting/5-for-5 free throws) made his presence known across the board, influencing the game with his high-flying five rebounds and continuous effort to get to the free-throw line. He’s loving every second of competing in front of the McCarthey Athletic Center crowd.
It’s been well-remarked the past couple of weeks, but this is one of the deeper groups that Few has had in his historic tenure (especially out on the wing). Against the Tigers, the bench scored 48 of the 98 total points. Just look at freshman wing Davis Fogle, who quickly finished with 11 and 5 rebounds when the game was well out of reach in the latter part of the second half. It’s going to be tough to keep his energetic input off the floor.
One of the hottest takes for this season’s group is that their defensive rating on KenPom will actually be better than their offensive rating. That’s unheard of for what has been one of the top-scoring programs in the country year after year. The length and relentless physical effort out on the perimeter, mostly from Innocenti and senior guard Jalen Warley’s (four rebounds, four steals, three assists) active hands in the passing lanes, will hurt their opponents consistently. As a team, Gonzaga held Texas Southern to 25.4 percent from the field, 14.3 percent on three-pointers.
The biggest question mark surrounding this unit is their three-point shooting. The Zags struggled tonight versus the Tigers, going 7-for-22 (32.0 percent). Graduate student guard Steele Venters, who made his return to the floor after 961 days away, and Miller can hit from long; that is a given. Who else will step up from beyond the arc?
On the 2027 recruiting front, small forward Gene Roebuck received “We want Roebuck” chants from the Kennel Club on his unofficial visit with the Gonzaga program. The Zags have already received four commitments in the 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes since the rise of October (2026 German combo guard Jack Kayil, 2026 four-star center Sam Funches, 2026 four-star wing Luca Foster, 2027 four-star guard Dooney Johnson).
Next on the non-conference schedule for Gonzaga is against coach Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, Nov. 8th, at the Spokane Arena on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. PT. The Zags lead the all-time series, 3-1, and won the last meeting, 87-81, in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
