Through the approval of Assistant Athletic Director/men’s basketball’s health and performance coach Josh Therrien, along with strength and conditioning coach Travis Knight, Gonzaga has cleared Steele Venters to return to the basketball court (first reported by Spokesman Review’s Theo Lawson).
He hasn’t played in a collegiate game since March 19, 2023, when Eastern Washington was in the National Invitational Tournament. The 6-7 redshirt junior wing is hoping to get back to the Big Sky Player of the Year (2022-23) level of play that he’s capable of.
As he was preparing for the 2023-24 season after transferring to Gonzaga, Venters suffered a torn ACL just two days before the season opener. Leading up to the 2024-25 campaign, he then injured his Achilles tendon in an August practice and had to sit on the sidelines entirely once again.
In 84 games played with the Eagles from 2020-23, the Ellensburg native averaged 13.5 points per game on a shooting split of 45.4 field goal percentage/40.3 three-point percentage/84.6 free throw percentage. Venters also chipped in 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game through 27.9 minutes played. He was named to the All-Big Sky First Team in 2022-23 and All-Big Sky Second Team in 2021-22.
The now 24-year-old will look to make his first public appearance at the McCarthey Athletic Center during the Kraziness in the Kennel on October 4th.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho
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