Zags Insiders Podcast: Lots of words on Braeden Smith, Braden Huff

We cover a lot of ground on every Zags Insiders Podcast, but Monday seemed appropriate for an extended conversation about Braeden Smith and Braden Huff.

Smith delivered a clutch performance off the bench with starter Mario Saint-Supery under the weather as Gonzaga defeated Oregon. Huff has scored at least 20 points in five consecutive games, including a career-best 37 against Campbell.

Former GU center Richard Fox, analyst on Gonzaga telecasts on KHQ and SWX, and yours truly spent extra time on Huff and Smith as well as previewing the upcoming West Coast Conference season.

Here are some highlights (edited for space considerations). Find the entire podcast at spokesman.com/podcasts/zags-basketball-insiders or youtu.be/QRrDlr2jTDk.

Huff on a roll

Fox: He was so left-hand dominant when he got here. I can tell you it’s easier to defend a left-handed perimeter player because you’re used to having coaches growing up (telling you) to shade a player one way or the other. It’s still challenging, but it’s a relatively easy adjustment.

It’s very difficult to defend an efficient scorer on the low block that’s left-handed. A, they’re rare. And B, you never do it. We saw the good teams (on Gonzaga’s schedule) the last couple of years make a real effort to do that and at times bother Braden and force him over his left shoulder. That’s not an issue this year. He’s very efficient with the right hand.

And the next thing for him is going to be that shot Graham (Ike) has, which is that little bit of a fadeaway going over that left shoulder and I’m sure that’ll come. He’s about as efficient and as dynamic a post scorer as you’re going to find in the country right now. Since the Players Era Tournament (five games), he’s averaging 24 points, five rebounds, shooting 72% from the field and 3 of 6 from 3.

Meehan: His touch is beyond belief with the shot put. He hit one against Oregon that was basically a 12-foot shot put. He doesn’t need to change a thing because it lands like a butterfly on the rim. Either hand, too. His right-hand (shots) have come a long way.

He had a play against Oregon, caught it above the low block – I was at a perfect angle because press seating was right down the line (from the basket) – and he has maybe a drop-step or two to work (with toward the) baseline. He catches it, they bring help, he kind of gave a little wiggle to occupy that guy for a second, then turned away from the help-side and hits a baby hook. The backboard with your left hand on that side (of the basket), you’re losing some of your angle. He drains it. I mean, what do you do?

It’s always one of the fascinating things going into every game: Who is going to guard Ike? Who is going to guard Huff. Where are they going to bring doubles from?

Smith to the rescue

Meehan: When they needed him, he came up with his best game of the season (21 points, seven assists, two steals, zero turnovers). He has 13 turnovers in 13 games, 59 assists. That is insane.

Put yourself in Braeden’s Nikes, his shoes. He started every game at Colgate for two years. He was (Patriot League) player of the year his sophomore season and redshirted at Gonzaga last year after transferring. He was the tournament MVP, takes them to the NCAAs. He’s the heir apparent (after Ryan Nembhard) and starts the first four games at Gonzaga. He gets moved to the bench. My memory is he had nine assists against Arizona State and didn’t start the next game. It’s not like he was floundering or not doing anything.

He’s not a big-time scorer, he’s more (about) assists, gets everybody involved, runs the break, but obviously you can see he still has some (scoring) in him.

He didn’t sit around and throw a pity party. As far as I could tell, there was no whining, complaining. Still actively involved on the bench. He must have kept working his tail off because when he’s come in last 3-4 games he’s been terrific. He’s played pretty good against the better teams on the schedule.

This kid scored 20 points in his first collegiate game. He had 10 or 11 20-point games at Colgate and was always in double digits. To have that mindset to be able to deal with (not starting) and come in and do the job the way he’s done it, that’s impressive.

Fox: Look, it starts with who you hire. Who is the person and what is their approach, not only to playing and ability on the floor but as feel-goody as it sounds, who they are as a human being? Are you a team-first person? Are you unselfish?

Gonzaga has consistently done a very good job of finding the right people. It would be the same in any organization. You can have most talented person on the team, but if they’re disruptive, if they make it difficult for everybody else – unless their production is just extraordinary you have to think, ‘Is the juice worth the squeeze’ in that situation.

Gonzaga’s staff does a very good job of keeping everybody on the team engaged. I saw something once from (former Villanova coach) Jay Wright, in effect: Everybody has their own role, but everybody has the same status, meaning you’re all equal in our mind, we treat everybody the same, you’re valued. Now this guy might be our leading scorer or starting point guard or a walk-on, but everybody’s status is the same. That’s how you keep a guy like Smith engaged when there’s no way his expectation coming to Gonzaga and redshirting was that he’d come off bench. He’s a good teammate and he’s good player. This is the value of depth. If you have depth sometimes it can be problematic if you don’t have people like Braeden.

I’d be shocked after the break, once Mario is feeling healthy and presumably playing very well, if (Smith’s) minutes go back down to 16 a game, I just don’t see an issue there. He’s clearly got a view that I could be part of something special here, my role may not be what I thought it would be, but I’m still an important piece to what we’re doing.