Gonzaga’s depth stands out in win vs. Baylor: ’This whole group has a ton of trust in each other’

‘Everyone trusts each other and I think the coaches instilled a lot of confidence in us, so to come off the bench and be able to contribute is pretty easy,” said Bulldogs redshirt sophomore Braden Huff

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

After bringing back 10 players from last season’s Sweet 16 team, Gonzaga’s Mark Few had the best problem a Division I head coach could ask for — he had too many players to fit into the rotation.

Few gave all the credit to his players for coming back to Spokane. In the meantime, he and the coaching staff rounded out the rotation with diverse talents in Arkansas grad transfer Khalif Battle and Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi, as well as Tarleton State transfer Emmanuel Innocenti.

Gonzaga’s summer practices were as competitive as they’ve been in years according to the coaches. As such, the lineup and substitution patterns were tinkered with during exhibition play, as the Bulldogs presented a handful of different looks before their regular season opener against No. 8 Baylor.

Few mentioned after the final exhibition against Warner Pacific that there wasn’t much separation between the starters and bench players. Turns out, his tight-knit bunch can fit together in a multitude of ways. 

“This whole group has trust in each other,” said redshirt sophomore Braden Huff after the Zags’ 101-63 win over the Bears. “We've got a lot of returners and the guys who are new fit in pretty seamlessly. So everyone trusts each other and I think the coaches instilled a lot of confidence in us, so to come off the bench and be able to contribute is pretty easy when you've got teammates and coaches who have a lot of trust in you.”

Huff was an instant spark plug off the bench in Gonzaga’s season-opener. The 6-foot-10 post finished with 14 points and went 7-of-11 from the field in 16 minutes of action, which included a handful of slam dunks to the delight of the Spokane Arena crowd. Huff helped open the floor up on offense alongside sophomore wing Dusty Stromer, who finished with 11 points and had three 3-pointers in the first half.

“We all just play for each other,” Stromer said. “And that makes it so much easier coming off the bench and making an impact right away in the game.”

Overall, Gonzaga’s second unit put up 42 points in the win over Baylor. Ajayi had nine points and ripped down eight rebounds, as the 6-foot-7 wing continues to impact the game with his motor on the glass. Time will tell if more opportunities open up for players like Jun Seok Yeo, Ismaila Diagne and Innocenti.

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