The No. 9 Gonzaga Bulldogs (18-1, 6-0 WCC) now face life without redshirt junior forward Braden Huff for the foreseeable future. Based on what was seen in Pullman against the Washington State Cougars on Thursday night, this group has enough depth to overcome this devastating injury and replace Huff’s presence and scoring production. Gonzaga coach Mark Few has started nine different starting lineups this season. Even without Huff, the Zags still had guys.
“I’m very proud of this group. It was a really good win (86-65 win at Beasley Coliseum) for us tonight to go on the road and face a team playing their best basketball without one of the best players in the West, the guys were awesome.” – Mark Few, Gonzaga coach
Senior wing Jalen Warley will play the majority of the four spots moving forward. The former Florida State Seminole, along with assistant coach R-Jay Barsh, has a 6-7 record and is as active a player as they come on the defensive end. He’s a glue guy that does it all: causes chaos in passing lanes, can quickly turn defense into offense, does the dirty work on the glass. Pretty much whatever it takes to help a team win, which is why few people will rely on him much.
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Expect seven-foot sophomore center Ismaila Diagne to also get more significant minutes to replace the size and stature at the rim that Huff brought to the table. Even more pressure will also be placed 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 second among active players.
“It’s a tough time for me and B-Huff because I know how much he wants to be there. I definitely miss Twin.” – Gonzaga forward Graham Ike
Seattle U RedHawks
The first matchup with the Seattle U RedHawks (13-6, 2-4 WCC) since joining the then-West Coast Athletic Conference was a bad watch. In Spokane, Washington, on Jan. 3, Gonzaga lacked drive and energy from the tip and had to finish the job in overtime.
Fifth-year coach Chris Victor of Seattle U will always be someone to be reckoned with in the West Coast Conference. Since taking over in 2022, Victor has compiled an 83-54 overall record and won the College Basketball Invitational in 2024. His group has struggled to start conference play in 2025-26, losing three games to the Bulldogs, Saint Mary’s Gaels and Oregon State Beavers recently.
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The Redhawks bring discomfort from one to five with their physical defense ranked No. 41, according to KenPom. They are the best in protecting the basket in the West Coast Conference, stopping 5.1 unit shots per game behind redshirt sophomore forward Will Heimbrodt’s 2.7 blocks per game.
Victor’s unit is tough, but disciplined, as only 16.8 personal fouls are committed per game, which is the third fewest in the West Coast Conference.
Player to watch:
Senior guard Brayden Maldonado
2025-26 Season Averages: Team-leading 15.1 points with 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
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The 6-0 leader looks like an All-West Coast Conference guy with his play this season. Maldonado hits some tough shots, but can be inconsistent with his shots at times.
The former Division II product has the ability to score at all three levels of the court and can create separation at an elite level.
Game keys:
Get off to a good start
In the first matchup, the Redhawks went on a 17-2 run early in the first half. More vitality and vigor at the moment the ball is knocked down is needed from everyone on the court representing Gonzaga.
Push the fastbreak
With Huff out and Warley on the floor more, the Zags can play at a much faster pace and step on the gas pedal more often on breaks. Especially after forced turnovers.
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Break the boards
The most frustrating aspect of the first go-around with Seattle U was Gonzaga getting overwhelmed 41-40 by the Redhawks. Giving up 15 offensive rebounds is intolerable against any opponent.
Betting Odds:
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Gonzaga is the favorite against Seattle U by 13.5 points. Moneyline for the Zags is -1250 and +740 for the RedHawks. The over/under is set at 149.5. The Zags are on an 11-game winning streak.
It’s nice to see that this Washington State game has been 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.
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The final regular season game between the two universities will take place on Saturday, January 17 at 7:00 p.m. PT on ESPN+. Expect Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington to host a pro-Gonzaga crowd.
KenPom/NET update
The Zags fell to No. 7 overall with the No. 5 ranked offense and No. 12 ranked defense in college basketball, according to KenPom. They are on #2/#. 3 starting lines for the NCAA tournament.
As for the NET rankings, the Zags are No. 4 with a record of 3-1 in Quad 1 opportunities and 4-0 in Quad 2.
Arden Cravalho graduated from Gonzaga University in the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
