> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Analysis: Grading Each Gonzaga Player Prior to WCC Play - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/grading-each-gonzaga-bulldogs-player-prior-wcc-play/ - Published: 2025-12-27T22:52:52.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:54:12.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: Analysis, Gonzaga, Mark Few, Braden Huff, Graham Ike, Mario Saint-Supéry, Tyon Grant-Foster, Jalen Warley, Steele Venters, Braeden Smith, Adam Miller, Emmanuel Innocenti, Davis Fogle, Ismaila Diagne Sitting at 12-1 after one of its toughest non-conference gauntlets in recent memory, No. 7 Gonzaga is as primed as ever to claim a West Coast Conference title in its final season as part of the conference. After losing the regular season race last season, the Bulldogs rebounded to knock off Saint Mary’s in the WCC tournament final. But with all things considered, the Zags sit as heavy favorites with expectations to not just finish with the best record in the conference and win one last West Coast crown, but also be a high seed in March Madness, currently predicted to most likely be a No.2 seed in their quest for a national championship. GU had clear weaknesses on its roster after an early exit in the NCAA Tournament last year – not making the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years – and set out to address them directly in the offseason. The most common attribute in the team’s new additions is length on the wing and perimeter defense, with many of the Bulldogs bringing something different to the table, offering head coach Mark Few versatility and flexibility. Consisting of both extreme depth and experience, Gonzaga not only has the talent poised to make a deep run in March but has seemed to mesh relatively well, even with sizable roster turnover. They boasted an average scoring margin of 24.8 points in the first 13 games, which is the highest mark of Few’s tenure and includes their lone loss to Michigan by 40\. The Zags also captured seven wins of at least 25 points and defeated four teams that were ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the matchup, headlined by a 10-point victory over No. 8 Alabama at the Players Era Festival. They also rank fourth in the country in KenPom, an analytic that measures efficiency while factoring in strength of schedule. Needless to say, the Bulldogs have been mostly dominant through 13 games. So how have the players performed relative to their pre-season expectations and contributed to the team’s hot start? ### Graham Ike, Forward **Grade**: A **Per-Game Stats**: 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 49% FG Already being awarded two WCC Player of the Week awards, the redshirt senior has lived up to the hype he has garnered with selections to numerous end-of-season award watch lists. Ike has five 20-point games and seven double-doubles, being the expected stalwart both on the block and the boards in his final season in Spokane. Aside from his one-point performance against the Wolverines, Ike has been nothing short of phenomenal for the Zags. ### Braden Huff, Forward **Grade**: A+ **Per-Game Stats**: 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 66.7% FG Getting a full season starting alongside Ike has done wonders for the redshirt junior Huff, who is not only Gonzaga’s leading scorer but leads the West Coast in that category so far. The most striking aspect of Huff’s game has been his efficiency, hitting two out of every three shots on almost 13 attempts a game. His touch with his left hand has been nearly automatic, and earning two Player of the Week honors in the West Coast as well, he has been a point of consistency for GU. ### Mario Saint-Supéry, Guard **Grade**: A- **Per-Game Stats**: 8.0 points, 4.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 50% 3PT Coming over from Spain and getting adjusted to Gonzaga’s program late after wrapping up a summer playing in FIBA Eurobasket, the proof is in the pudding on how well Saint-Supéry has played. After Braeden Smith was expected to take over the starting point guard role after he redshirted last season during Ryan Nembhard’s historic year, Saint-Supéry’s experience, energy, and pace has forced Few’s hand even with him being a true freshman. Aside from facilitating the offense, he has also been deadly shooting from the outside, knocking down half of his 32 tries from three while being a pest in passing lanes defensively. His only knock seems to be his out-of-control ball handling at times, which gives Few headaches, as he has tallied a team-high 20 turnovers. ### Tyon Grant-Foster, Guard **Grade**: B+ **Per-Game Stats**: 10.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 45% FG For the most part, Grant-Foster has delivered what he was brought in to do for the Bulldogs after a long waiver process was completed for his final season of eligibility. When on the floor, he is constantly moving, whether that’s rotating and cutting off-ball, crashing the glass, or penetrating to the rim and drawing free throws. The 6-7 graduate student has posted seven games scoring in double figures, although he has slowed down somewhat of late, both from an efficiency and aggression standpoint, while also being tied with Saint-Supéry for the most turnovers on the team due to his playstyle. His 18% clip from the perimeter also calls for him to shift his shot diet to inside the arc primarily. ### Adam Miller, Guard **Grade**: A- **Per-Game Stats**: 8.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, 38.9% 3PT, 50.6% FG Brought in from Arizona State to be a sharpshooter from three-point range, Miller’s efficiency has continued to climb as the season has gone on, now nearing 40%. Flying off of varying natures of screens, ‘Ace’ Miller seems to be just what the doctor ordered in Gonzaga’s quest to re-up on shooting in the transfer portal. He also provides an underrated aspect to his game – his lefty floater. When his shot wasn’t falling early on in the year, Miller had that to fall back on as a reliable source of scoring. ### Steele Venters, Guard **Grade**: A- **Per-Game Stats**: 7.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 42.9% 3PT As expected, it took some time for Venters to get reacclimated to game speed after not having played for two seasons due to season-ending ACL and Achilles tears. But now the injuries seem to be well behind him, as the Ellensburg, WA. Native has drained 10 of his last 17 shots from deep, hitting his stride just in time as WCC play begins. ### Braeden Smith, Guard **Grade**: B+ **Per-Game Stats**: 5.5 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 47.2% FG As mentioned previously, Smith has been relegated to being the Bulldogs’ primary ball-handler off the bench instead of an expected starting role. It could have been tough for the redshirt junior to face that reality after not playing at all last year, but he has flourished in the role as of late, most recently scoring a season-high 21 points along with seven assists in GU’s win over Oregon when Saint-Supéry was limited by the flu. The goal was always for the team to have a two-headed monster at the point guard spot, and even if the tandem isn’t playing in the exact intended order, it seems to be working regardless. ### Jalen Warley, Guard **Grade**: A **Per-Game Stats**: 5.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 49.1 % FG Even with so many players on Gonzaga’s roster playing to their strengths, if there was someone who embodied that mindset, it would be Warley. He is extremely active on the defensive end, using every part of his 6-7 frame to be a nuisance for opposing offenses and create turnovers for the Zags to score in transition. Warley can guard players taller and bigger than him as well, allowing the Bulldogs to survive defensively when one of Ike or Huff is off the floor. With the ball in his hands, he seems to always make the right play, whether that’s deferring to one of his teammates or finishing close to the basket. Shooting the ball is his weakness, as he is the only player in the rotation to not take a three, and his unorthodox free-throw routine isn’t helping his 58.8% mark from the charity stripe, but he is the team’s swiss army knife in all facets. ### Emmanuel Innocenti, Forward **Grade**: B+ **Per-Game Stats**: 4.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 37% 3PT, 50% FG Heralded for his defensive prowess, Innocenti has definitely delivered on that end of the floor. Perhaps the only other thing you could ask from him is to be more involved in extra opportunities for GU, as he has been attributed for less than one steal and block. But the Bulldogs create so many turnovers as a team, it hasn’t been sorely needed. The big factor for the Ivory Coast native was what kind of leap he would take offensively, and so far, a noticeable one. After shooting under 30 percent from three a season ago, Innocenti has now already matched his total three-pointers made (10) on seven fewer attempts. ### Ismaila Diagne, Center **Grade**: B- **Per-Game Stats**: 2.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 61.5% FG With at least one of Ike or Huff on the floor for most minutes or Gonzaga rolling out a small-ball lineup with Warley at the four, there hasn’t been much opportunity for Diagne to this point. He is a true center, unlike the aforementioned all-conference forwards, but room will have to be made down the line for the sophomore from Senegal. His 7-0 frame gives him the ability to be at least a serviceable rim protector, and with more seasoning in GU’s system, Diagne’s ability to grow his game offensively will be the determining metric on if and when his playing time increases. ### Davis Fogle, Guard **Grade**: A **Per-Game Stats**: 6.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, 57.8% FG, 50% 3PT Unlike Saint-Supéry, who had experience in a competitive environment overseas, Fogle doesn’t have the pedigree to break into the rotation as a true freshman. But in limited chances, checking into games that are virtually over, he has given himself the green light and kept it on. His 6-7 figure is redundant with the several Zags wings who all have years and polish over Fogle. And as Few has said multiple times after games, lighting it up in garbage time is different than contributing to winning basketball when both teams are still fighting to win, but Fogle has done all he can to put himself at the top of the list if an opportunity opens up. ### Joaquim Arauz Moore, Guard ### Noah Haaland, Forward ### Cade Orness, Guard **Grades**: N/A Although these three players have checked in when the Bulldogs are up big as well, their appearances have been less frequent than the likes of Diagne and Fogle, and their shots of earning valuable minutes during this season are low in likelihood. Gonzaga has assembled a roster that is built for winning different types of games, with the pairing of player buy-in and production further establishing the program’s ability to push the envelope. Conference play can get frisky, and with other WCC teams also having strong non-conference resumes, not predicting some valleys along with the peaks wouldn’t be the wisest thing to do. But GU has all the tools to repeat as conference champions one final time before moving to the Pac-12.