The No. 9 Gonzaga Bulldogs (18-1, 6-0 WCC) now have to face life without redshirt junior forward Braden Huff for the foreseeable future with a left knee injury suffered in practice earlier this week. Based on what was witnessed in Pullman against the Washington State Cougars on this past Thursday night, this group has enough depth to move past this devastating injury and replace Huff’s down-low presence as well as his efficient scoring production.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few has thrown out nine different starting lineups this season. Even without Huff, the Zags still got dudes.
“It’s been about the last 24 hours, we didn’t have much time to feel sorry for ourselves. That’s something I’m very, very proud of this group. That was a really, really great win for us tonight. To go on the road and play a team that was playing some of their best basketball they played this year.” – Gonzaga coach Mark Few after the 86-65 victory at the Beasley Coliseum
It is senior wing Jalen Warley who will be seen playing the majority of the four spot going forward. The former Florida State Seminole, along with assistant coach R-Jay Barsh, stands 6-7 and is as active a player as can be on the defensive end. He’s a glue guy that does it all: causes chaos in the passing lanes, can turn defense into offense quickly, does the dirty work on the glass. Pretty much anything it takes to help a team win, which is why Few is going to rely on him heavily.
Expect seven-foot sophomore center Ismaila Diagne to also be given more meaningful minutes to replace the size and stature at the rim that Huff brought to the table. Even more pressure will also be put on graduate forward Graham Ike, as if he didn’t already have enough on his plate. His 42 career double-doubles (11 this season) are now tied for the second-most among active players.
“It’s a tough time for me and B-Huff because I know how bad he wants to be out there. I miss twin, most definitely. But I’m just keeping his spirits high, as the whole team is. And whenever we get him back, we’ll be right. But until then, we’re just going to keep playing hard for him.” – Gonzaga forward Graham Ike on his frontcourt partner, Braden Huff
The first matchup with the Seattle U RedHawks (13-6, 2-4 WCC) since rejoining the then West Coast Athletic Conference was an ugly watch. In Spokane, Washington, back on Jan. 3, Gonzaga lacked spirit/energy from the tip and had to finish the job in overtime, 80-72, in front of a shocked McCarthey Athletic Center crowd.
Fifth-year coach Chris Victor of Seattle U is still going to be someone to reckon with in the West Coast Conference. Since taking the job in 2022, Victor has put together an 83-54 overall record and won the College Basketball Invitational in 2024. His group has struggled to start conference play in 2025-26, taking a three-game skid at the Bulldogs, at the Saint Mary’s Gaels, and at the Oregon State Beavers recently.
The Redhawks bring discomfort one through five with their physical No. 41-ranked defense, according to KenPom. They’re the best at protecting the basket in the West Coast Conference, swatting away 5.1 shots as a unit per game behind redshirt sophomore forward Will Heimbrodt’s 2.7 blocks per game.
Victor’s unit is tough as nails, yet disciplined, with only 16.8 personal fouls given up per game for the third-least in the West Coast Conference.
Senior guard Brayden Maldonado
2025-26 season averages: team-leading 15.1 points on 44.0 field goal percentage/38.2 three-point percentage/92.4 free throw percentage, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.7 steals per game
The 6-0 floor leader looks like an All-West Coast Conference guy with his play this season. Maldonado, hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, takes tough shots, but can be inconsistent with his makes at times.
The former Division II product has the ability to score at all three levels of the floor and can create lengthy separation from his defenders.
2025-26 season averages: 12.3 points on 45.3 field goal percentage/32.4 three-point percentage/66.7 free throw percentage, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game
The former Zag had 10 points on his 3-for-9 sniping from beyond the arc in his return to the Kennel at the start of this month. The Seoul, South Korea native wants nothing more than to steal a victory against his previous teammates.
Yeo has been on a tear as of late, finishing with 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 6-for-8 on his looks from deep down in Moraga on Jan. 4 and 18 points on a split of 5-for-11/2-for-5/6-for-7 against the San Diego Toreros on Jan. 15.
Get off to a stronger start
In the first matchup, the Redhawks went on a 17-2 run early in the first half. More vitality and vigor right when the ball is tipped is needed from everyone on the floor representing Gonzaga.
With Huff out and Warley on the floor more, the Zags can play a much quicker pace and hit the gas pedal on the break more often. Especially coming off forced turnovers.
The more frustrating aspect of the first go-around with Seattle U was the fact that Gonzaga was outrebounded 41-40 by the Redhawks. Giving up 15 offensive rebounds is intolerable against any opponent.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Gonzaga is the favorite over Seattle U by 13.5 points. Moneyline for the Zags is at -1250 and +740 for the RedHawks. The over/under is set at 149.5. The Zags are riding an 11-game winning streak.
It’s pleasant to see that this in-state Washington matchup was revitalized for the first time since 1980. Seattle U has a 50-22 advantage in the all-time series over Gonzaga and would make for a respectable non-conference opponent when the Zags’ program moves to the Pac-12 Conference.
The final regular-season matchup between the two universities will take place on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 7:00 p.m. PT on ESPN+. Expect the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, to have a Gonzaga-favorable crowd.
The Zags have dropped down to No. 7 overall with the No. 5-ranked offense and No. 12-ranked defense in college basketball, according to KenPom. They’re on the No. 2/No. 3 seed line for the NCAA Tournament.
As for the NET rankings, Gonzaga is No. 4 with a 3-1 record in Quad 1 opportunities and 4-0 in Quad 2.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
