Braeden Smith’s redshirt year 'can work wonders' for him and Gonzaga

Last season’s Patriot League Player of the Year has an opportunity to learn and expand his game throughout his redshirt season in 2024-25

Mar 22, 2024; Memphis, TN, USA; Colgate Raiders guard Braeden Smith (2) dribbles against Baylor Bears guard Ja'Kobe Walter (4) during the second half of the NCAA Tournament First Round at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not often a player of Braeden Smith’s caliber decides to take a redshirt year, especially after being named the Patriot League Player of the Year just months earlier. Frankly, it’s rare to see any player take a redshirt season in college basketball anymore.

“To his credit, he saw the bigger picture,” Gonzaga men’s basketball coach Mark Few said of Smith, who committed to the Bulldogs in May. “With Braeden, I mean yeah it was again, great communication, great openness about what was out there and also looking forward next year with our roster and what was available there.”

The Bulldogs have quite the track record with redshirt players. Kelly Olynyk famously took a year off after his sophomore season, in which he returned an All-American caliber player and eventually was drafted in the lottery in 2013. Similarly, Dan Dickau was an All-American and first-round pick in 2002 following his redshirt season. Brandon Clarke also blossomed into a first-round pick after his stellar redshirt junior season in 2018-19.

Not every redshirt is created equal. It used to be that redshirts were force to sit out a year. Sometimes the decision is made based on the depth of the roster, as was the case with Braden Huff in 2023.

For Zach Norvell Jr., his redshirt year was due in part because of a knee injury and the talent that was ahead of him on Gonzaga’s loaded 2016-17 team that made it to the national championship game. Despite having to sit and watch the program’s greatest season from the bench, the Chicago native recognized the value in learning from experienced players like Josh Perkins, Nigel Williams-Goss and Przemek Karnowski.

“I wasn’t the happiest about it,” Norvell Jr. said. “But looking back at it now, it was probably the best thing for my career. Learning from Nigel, learning from [Perkins], learning from Przemek. And just having a year of seeing the speed of this game as a freshman.”

WATCH THE FULL ZACH NORVELL JR. EPISODE

While Smith isn’t a freshman, he’ll likely spend a lot of time with Gonzaga’s strength and conditioning coaches to prepare himself for when it’s his opportunity to take the floor in 2025-26. Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman are both seniors this upcoming season, while Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle is entering his final year of eligibility as a grad transfer. Depending on how the transfer portal and recruiting changes the makeup of the team next offseason, Smith would presumptively be in position to take the wheel as the lead guard.

“My biggest advice would be, don’t look at it as like a year off,” Norvell Jr. said. “Because you’re still practicing every day, you still have the opportunity to get better every day. You’re still learning. So if you could use this year as a head start to what your jumping into, it can work wonders.”

Norvell Jr. discussed Smith’s impact with the Zags and much more on a new episode of Gonzaga Nation.

Produced by Thomas Gallagher.