Hours before Gonzaga tipped off its season opener against Purdue, Braden Huff picked up another preseason honor, landing on the Naismith Trophy watch list as one of 50 players in the early conversation for college basketball’s top individual prize.
That makes it three preseason nods already for Huff. He’s also on the watch list for the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and was included on the Pac-12’s preseason Impact List with Gonzaga teammate Davis Fogle.
Huff’s case is built on what he did before a knee injury shut him down late last season. The senior forward averaged 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds for Gonzaga, then missed the final 17 games. Before the injury, he led the country in 2-point field goals and was shooting 66.2% from the field.
He had a couple of huge scoring nights along the way, including a career-best 37 points against Campbell on Dec. 17. Two weeks later, he added 28 points in an 80-72 overtime win over Seattle U.
The 6-foot-10 forward has carried that production into the exhibition slate. He led all scorers with 19 points and added 11 rebounds in Gonzaga’s 76-72 loss to Arkansas, then posted 11 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes in Wednesday’s win over NAIA Lewis-Clark State.
Gonzaga’s nonconference schedule could put Huff and the Zags across from several other Naismith watch list names. Alabama’s Amari Allen and Aden Holloway are possible opponents in the second round of the Players Era Festival, Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. is on the schedule for a Dec. 19 game in Palm Springs, Calif., and Duke’s trio of Naismith candidates - John Blackwell, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Patrick Ngongba II - will be waiting when the teams meet on Feb. 20 in Detroit.
Utah State forward Mason Falslev, the 2025-26 Mountain West Player of the Year, was the only other Pac-12 player on the preseason Naismith list.
In Other News...
Gonzaga Opens With A National Test Purdue Desperately Needs
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For Gonzaga, it is another high-profile stage in a familiar setting, one that should draw plenty of attention from a national audience and from a Purdue program looking to make an early statement. The Hall of Fame Series brings the spotlight to T-Mobile Arena, and the opening-night pairing gives both teams something meaningful before November has even settled in. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzagas New-Look Roster Gets An Early Test Fans Will Watch Closely
A familiar heavyweight is back on Gonzagas schedule, but the version of Purdue waiting in Las Vegas looks a lot different than the one the Bulldogs saw a year ago. The teams are set for a neutral-site meeting at T-Mobile Arena as part of the Hall of Fame Series, and both programs arrive with experienced coaches and rosters that have been reshaped enough to make this feel more like a fresh scouting assignment than a rematch.
Matt Painter and Mark Few have already offered their early read on the matchup, which only adds to the intrigue around two programs that expect to contend regardless of the turnover around them. For Gonzaga, the interest goes beyond the opponent itself. This is an early measuring-stick game for a new-look roster, and the details of how the Bulldogs handle Purdue will say plenty about where they stand before the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Braden Huff Keeps Gonzagas Star Power In The Spotlight
Braden Huffs name is back in the national conversation, and it keeps Gonzagas frontcourt in the spotlight heading into the new season. The Bulldogs forward landed on the 2026-27 Jersey Mikes Naismith Trophy Mens College Player of the Year Watch List, a reminder of how much attention he drew before last years campaign was cut short.
Huff had been producing at a high level before the injury interruption, averaging 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18 appearances. His inclusion on a list filled with other top players underscores the expectation that Gonzaga could again lean on his scoring and presence if he stays healthy. [Read more 🡒]