Following back injury Gonzaga’s Kaden Perry ‘pretty much full go’; Dominick Harris (foot) ‘not quite ready’

LAS VEGAS – It’s possible only one of the Gonzaga players sidelined by injury last season will be available when the Bulldogs open their 2022-23 campaign.

During a roundtable interview at West Coast Conference Media Day, GU coach Mark Few provided injury updates on sophomore forward Kaden Perry, who played in just eight games last year due to ongoing back issues, and sophomore guard Dominick Harris, who missed the 2021-22 season while recovering from foot surgery.

“Kaden’s been pretty much full go just within the last week or so, more than that,” Few said.

The athletic forward from Battle Ground, Wash., was a deep reserve for the Zags as a freshman, averaging 1.8 points in 6.6 minutes per game before missing the remainder of the season with back spasms. 

Perry has been battled back issues since they prematurely ended his senior season at Battle Ground High School and underwent surgery for herniated discs before arriving at Gonzaga last fall.

Provided he stays healthy, Perry, who’s been compared to former Gonzaga standout Brandon Clarke, offers the Bulldogs another versatile option in the frontcourt. It’s unclear if the Zags will utilize a small-ball, four-guard lineup with All-American senior Drew Timme at center, but Perry returns to join a frontcourt that also includes senior Anton Watson, sophomore transfer Efton Reid, junior Ben Gregg and freshman Braden Huff, a four-star prospect from Chicago.

Few didn’t specify when Harris could return to the court, but indicated the guard is behind schedule.

“Dom’s kind of progressing slower than that, so he’s not quite ready yet,” Few said. “I think he’s getting closer.”

The Southern California native and former four-star prospect sat on Gonzaga’s bench wearing street clothes for the majority of the 2021-22 season, but suited up for the first time before a Feb. 19 game against Santa Clara. Harris went through pregame warmups with the Bulldogs on multiple occasions, but didn’t get on the court in his second season at GU.

Gonzaga’s backcourt may be deeper than its frontcourt, so if Harris is able to return to the court at some point it could still be difficult to stake out a spot in a rotation that also includes returners Nolan Hickman, Rasir Bolton, Hunter Sallis and Chattanooga transfer Malachi Smith.