Gonzaga's Braden Huff sets high expectations for 2024-25: 'There's definitely another jump that could be made'

‘I love the way Gonzaga plays and I think it’s perfect for my play style, so I didn’t think there was a better place to be,’ Huff said.

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

This time a year ago, Gonzaga men’s basketball forward Braden Huff had no idea what to expect heading into his redshirt freshman season.

The 6-foot-10 post and former Mr. Basketball in Illinois had spent the 2022-23 campaign watching Drew Timme and company from the sideline, at least that was the case when Huff wasn’t in the gym working on his post-up game with assistant coach Brian Michaelson. Even at his height, Huff admitted his skills around the rim weren’t as refined as perhaps they should’ve been, mainly due to the fact he played some point guard in high school and didn’t see himself as a back-to-the-basket scorer.

Regardless, Huff wasn’t going to play much behind Timme, Anton Watson and Ben Gregg. So he decided to take on a redshirt year, a route less common for four-star recruits these days, and decided it was best to learn from the veterans in front of him in the rotation and earn his reps in competitive practice settings.

“I’m super happy I redshirted,” Huff said. “Just being able to learn from guys and see how they approach the game … being behind guys like Drew [Timme] and Anton [Watson], guys who’ve seen it all and played in the biggest games … seeing how they get ready and approach practice, approach their workouts, lifts and all that stuff was big for me.”

Patience was a virtue for Huff, who added that he didn’t really know how his first season would play out but that he’d do whatever it’d take for the team to succeed when he was on the floor. Whether in limited minutes or extended runs off the bench, Huff focused on being prepared for whatever Mark Few and the coaching staff needed on a game-to-game basis. 

For the most part, Huff’s biggest skill set was his ability to score. He averaged 9.3 points and shot 59.8% from the floor, including 33.8% from deep, and grabbed 3.4 rebounds per game. Only a select handful of first-year players at Gonzaga have had a better start to their college career, as Huff racked up 42 points in his first two games — just shy of Kevin Pangos’ record for most points by a freshman in their first two games.

While managing a sporadic role, Huff found ways to step up in big moments throughout the season, namely down the stretch of the Bulldogs’ massive road win at Kentucky in February. He had 12 points in 15 minutes, including a stretch of eight-straight points while Graham Ike dealt with foul trouble, to help the Zags fend off a late push from the Wildcats and hold on for an 89-85 win at Rupp Arena.

“It kinda showed we could close out some of those bigger games,” Huff said. “I think that was big for us and after that, we were able to just kind of build off that.”

Gonzaga parlayed the Kentucky win, along with triumphs over San Francisco and Saint Mary’s shortly after, into the program’s 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and eventually, its ninth straight trip to the Sweet 16. The adversity everyone faced early in the season ultimately paved the way for seven of the team’s top eight scorers, and 10 players overall, to return for another run in 2024-25. As Few and the staff added more talent via the transfer portal over the offseason, expectations from the outside began to grow loftier and loftier heading into the thick of summer.

For Huff personally, he believes there’s another step for him to take in his development as an all-around skilled big man as a redshirt sophomore.

“My whole time here I’ve just kind of been looking at the bigger picture,” Huff said. “I understand it’s a process and I think there’s definitely another jump that could be made here and I’m super excited. I love the way Gonzaga plays and I think it’s perfect for my play style so I didn’t think there was a better place to be.”

Huff shared more about what he’s been working on this offseason, how he spends his downtime in Spokane and much more on a new Gonzaga Nation episode.

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE BELOW:

Produced by Thomas Gallagher.

FOLLOW GONZAGA NATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Continue to follow our Gonzaga coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Instagram and Twitter @GonzagaOnSI.