Gonzaga redshirt freshman Braden Huff helps bid for playing time with solid Kraziness scrimmage
As a redshirt freshman, Gonzaga’s Braden Huff has spent the last 17-plus months toiling behind the scenes at every practice, on scout teams, in numerous individual workouts and inside the Volkar Center weight room.
He showed off some of what he’s been working on Saturday during Kraziness in the Kennel at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
It’s wise not to get too carried away with a 20-minute scrimmage in October, but Huff and freshman guard Luka Krajnović stood out among the seven players participating who have yet to appear in a Gonzaga game.
Huff played all 20 minutes and led all scorers with 19 points, half of the Blue team’s total of 38. The next-closest scorer was forward Anton Watson with 13. It was the most points scored at Kraziness since at least 2009. Josh Perkins had 17 in 2015.
“I kind of see a lot of Drew (Timme) in him just in the post because he’s so strong,” said Watson, well-versed on the development process players go through as GU’s lone grad student and fifth-year senior. “Once he gets to his left (shooting hand), it’s kind of automatic. He’s just grown so much as a player in the last couple of years.
“He’s been doing that in practice and he showed it (Saturday). I’m excited to see where that takes him.”
Huff made seven field goals, three more than a trio of players on the victorious White team. He attempted the most free throws (five) and made four.
The 6-foot-10, 242-pound lefty also fared well in the 3-point contest. He edged junior forward Ben Gregg 13-11 in the opening round. Huff and junior guard Nolan Hickman both made 12 (out of 25 attempts) in the finals before Hickman hit 14 to win the tiebreaker.
A year ago, Huff was scoreless in 9 minutes and misfired on his only field-goal attempt and two free throws at the Kraziness scrimmage.
“We’ve been asking Braden to score more and be more aggressive,” GU head coach Mark Few said. “He’s really shot the ball well throughout the summer and fall, and even last year when he was on the white (scout) squad. I still think we can squeeze more out of that, especially on the inside.”
Huff was 6 of 9 on shots inside the arc. His first bucket was a three-point play on a nice feed from Ryan Nembhard. Huff connected on a 3-pointer a few minutes later, followed by a close-range basket over Watson and a layup. He scored six straight points for the Blue on two free throws, a jump hook and another basket in the lane. His putback closed the scrimmage scoring.
Huff’s stats weren’t all rosy. He was called for four fouls, but was also fouled four times. No other Zag drew more than two fouls.
Huff’s time is coming, but his role this season is yet to be determined. He joins Gregg as the tallest on the roster and he’s the heaviest by 2 pounds. Both players likely will come off the bench behind Watson and Wyoming transfer Graham Ike.
The 6-9, 240-pound Ike sat out the scrimmage as a precaution to rest his right foot. He will probably play in the 30-minute range – he averaged 31.6 minutes, 19.5 points and 9.6 rebounds in the 2021-22 season – provided he’s fully recovered from the injury that sidelined him last season.
Huff and Gregg give GU sizable frontcourt options and both are capable 3-point shooters. Gregg did a nice defensive job battling Purdue’s national player of the year Zach Edey last November at the PK85, and the Boilermakers are on GU’s schedule again this November.
Whether Huff earns major or minimal minutes, it’s clear he’s put in the time and effort to improve since arriving in Spokane.