Gonzaga vs. Seattle U Preview (Climate Pledge Arena)

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. Based on what was witnessed in Pullman against the Washington State Cougars on Thursday night, this group has enough depth to move past this devastating injury and replace Huff’s down-low presence as well as his scoring production. Gonzaga coach Mark Few has thrown out nine different starting lineups this season. Even without Huff, the Zags still got dudes.

It is senior wing Jalen Warley who will be seen playing the majority of the four spot going forward. The former Florida State Seminole and Virginia Cavalier 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.

Advertisement

Expect 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.

Seattle U RedHawks

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.

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…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gonzaga-vs-seattle-u-preview-060427164.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-01-17 06:04:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.