Eastern Washington standout, Big Sky MVP Steele Venters transfers to Gonzaga
Steele Venters became a highly coveted prospect, garnering attention from high-major programs all over the country as soon as the standout Eastern Washington wing entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal.
The reigning Big Sky Player of the Year ultimately chose the program in his backyard, and home state of Washington, announcing his commitment to Gonzaga on Friday afternoon.
“ZAG NATION, WHAT’S GOOD?!,” Venters wrote in an Instagram post revealing his decision.
Venters had suitors in the Pac-12, Big Ten, Big-12, SEC and Big East, hearing from Creighton, Butler, USC, Oregon, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Washington and more than a dozen other programs.
Upon entering the transfer portal, Venters told The Spokesman-Review last week, “I felt it’s best for me to get to the next level. I want a new challenge and a new setting.”
The Bulldogs have been known to reload through the portal and face a significant challenge this offseason, potentially replacing up to eight players from last year’s roster that made the program’s eighth consecutive Sweet 16, advancing all the way to the Elite Eight.
Venters, an Ellensburg High product who had just one Division I offer from former EWU coach Shantay Legans, could fill a big need for Gonzaga with junior wing Julian Strawther expected to leave Spokane and pursue a career in the NBA.
The Bulldogs are losing at least five players from the 2022-23 team, including starters Drew Timme and Rasir Bolton.
Strawther and two other starters/rotation players, Anton Watson and Malachi Smith, have yet to announce whether they’ll return in 2023-24 or turn pro.
Three other players, Hunter Sallis, Dominick Harris and Efton Reid, have entered the transfer portal since GU’s season-ending loss to UConn.
The 6-foot-7, 195-pound Venters just completed his redshirt sophomore season and will have two years of eligibility after using a COVID-19 waiver. Venters redshirted during the 2019-20 season, came off the bench in 2020-21 and started all 67 games for the Eagles each of the past two years.
Primarily playing at the shooting guard/small forward position, Venters averaged 15.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists en route to being named the top player in the Big Sky. Venters helped lead the Eagles to a 23-11 record and top seed at the Big Sky Tournament. EWU had the nation’s longest active win streak at one point, reeling off 18 straight victories from mid-December to late February.
While describing what he was looking for at his next school, Venters told The S-R he wanted to find the “right situation, the right fit and the right playing style that is open and free, where I can still go (score).”
Venters averaged better than 15 ppg each of his past two seasons at EWU, scoring 16.7 points in 2021-22 before averaging 15.3 last year.
Venters has never finished a season shooting lower than 37% from the 3-point line, making 41.4% of his attempts from behind the arc in 2020-21 before improving to 43.4% last year and dipping to 37% this past season.
He shot 45.4% from the field the past three seasons and never shot lower than 83% from the free-throw line, making 84% the last two years.
Venters had mostly positive results against high-major opponents this season, averaging 15.8 points in two games against Washington State and one against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Cal.
He scored 47 points while leading EWU to a split against WSU and scored 26 in a 77-70 loss to Texas Tech last December.
If Strawther moves on, Venters will likely compete for playing time with a variety of young players who’ll have a chance to crack Gonzaga’s rotation next season.
The Bulldogs return forward Braden Huff, a 6-foot-10 former four-star recruit who’s versatility could allow him to play at either the “3” or “4.” South Korean guard/forward Jun Seok Yeo joined Gonzaga midseason and will be eligible to suit up for the Bulldogs in 2023-24 after practicing with the team the past three months.
Gonzaga’s high school signing class includes Sherman Oaks (California) Notre Dame standout Dusty Stromer and NBA Global Academy product Alex Toohey – both of whom could play either the guard or forward position in Spokane.