With graduate forward Graham Ike and redshirt junior Braden Huff dealing with their own respective injuries, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have lost a whole lot of All-American size and skill in the frontcourt over the last three matchups. In their place, senior wing Jalen Warley and true freshman wing Davis Fogle have stepped up.
Warley had a game-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting while guarding the San Francisco Dons’ bigs and running the point at times for the Zags back on Jan. 24. All of that production is being made without being guarded beyond 10 feet because of his lack of outside shooting.
The versatility of the Florida State Seminoles transfer was put on full display inside the McCarthey Athletic Center. That resourcefulness from the 6-7 talent makes Warley one of the more special players that coach Mark Few has had the honor to be around, similar to the likes of the Swiss army knife Anton Watson.
He’s been the unsung Most Valuable Player during this unfortunate stretch of injuries on the roster. Warley’s teammates have loved playing alongside the tough, selfless individual that he’s been this season, especially graduate wing Tyon Grant-Foster and his “rookie” Fogle.
The way he’s able to affect the game on the offensive end by the way people play him, it’s crazy. I don’t think Jalen (Warley) has shot one three all year, but it’s like you still can’t stop him regardless. It’s the way that he’s able to adapt and really like conform his game to help us. He does so much stuff. – Tyon Grant-Foster
He changes the game every time he’s in there. In the locker room, he’s leading us. He’s been kind of a vet for me, helping me out throughout the year. He just does it all. – Davis Fogle
6-7 Fogle has similarly stepped up like Warley did, helping with any sort of issues that the team is dealing with at any given time. Whether that’s excelling with his impressive shotmaking or guarding a larger opponent than he’s normally used to in his first college basketball season.
Against the Dons this past weekend, Fogle played the most minutes he has in any game this season (32). The pressure was put on his shoulders in the close 68-66 outcome, yet he still contributed 15 points, a career-high nine rebounds, and two steals.
Over his last three contests, Fogle has put together 45 total points, 18 rebounds, and five steals. As for Warley, he’s collected 38 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals during that same stretch.
Gonzaga’s offense may have dropped to No. 19 in KenPom, but that’s due to Ike and Huff being unavailable. What Few has been able to still conjure up with all the different rotation changes being thrown out is quite remarkable. Some of these small-ball lineups he’s put together haven’t been out on the floor all at the same time before. It goes to show how much depth is truly available and how well-connected this 2025-26 group has been recently.
The word around town is that the big man on campus, Ike, should be suited up and ready to go for the first of two rivalry matchups with the Saint Mary’s Gaels. He has started practicing with the team for the last two days after dealing with right ankle soreness, per Few, when speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon. Ike hasn’t competed since Jan. 15.
The hottest ticket in Spokane this weekend, on Saturday, Jan. 31, is always hard to come by, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. PT tip-off on ESPN. Ike will be especially needed against the size that coach Randy Bennett’s unit displays in 7-3 redshirt sophomore center Andrew McKeever and 7-1 senior center Harry Wessels.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
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