The 2026-27 college basketball season is hours away from tipping off for the Gonzaga Bulldogs , who are taking on the Purdue Boilermakers at 4:30 PM PT on Monday afternoon in Las Vegas.
The Naismith Trophy College Player of the Year Watch List was revealed Monday morning, giving fans an early season look at the best players in the sport - and Zags forward Braden Huff was among the 50 players selected.
Gonzaga has been well represented on this list historically, with Graham Ike making it each of the past two years while Ryan Nembhard made it in 2023 and again in 2024, alongside Ike.
Andrew Nembhard, Chet Holmgren, and Drew Timme were all on the list in 2022 as well.
Huff was recently named to the Karl Malone Award Watch List as the best power forward in college basketball, giving him more preseason accolades despite missing half of last year with a knee injury.
The 6'10 big man appeared in 18 games last season and averaged 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds, shooting 66.2% from the field and pairing perfectly next to Ike in Gonzaga's unstoppable frontcourt.
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff. | Photo by Myk Crawford
Huff got hurt in practice before Gonzaga's road game at Washington State back on Jan. 15, and was unable to return before the end of the season - which forced Ike into a massive role offensively and ultimately contributed to the Zags bowing out in the Round of 32 as a No. 3 seed to No. 11 Texas.
Now the big man is back for what should be the featured role in Gonzaga's offense, with Ike's replacement - Massamba Diop - far more of an interior presence defensively than offensively.
Huff could approach 20 points per game on high efficiency, and if he's able to do that while leading Gonzaga to another 30+ win season he'll have a real argument for All-American honors - and possibly more.
Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Utah State Aggies guard Mason Falslev (12) and guard Elijah Perryman (1) react in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Gonzaga is set to square off against five of the 50 players on the Naismith Watch List: point guard Jeremy Fears Jr at Michigan State, Utah State guard Mason Falslev, and a trio of Duke Blue Devils in guard John Blackwell and big men Patrick Ngongba and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.
Gonzaga could also face Alabama's Aden Holloway and Amari Allen in the Player's Era Festival, as well as Michigan's Trey McKenney and Elliot Cadeau or Miami's Shelton Henderson, Acaden Lewis, and Malik Reneau.
Next up for Gonzaga is a matchup against Purdue, which did not have a single player on this list. The game is set to tip at 4:30 PM PT on Monday, Nov. 2, and will be broadcast on TNT and HBO MAX.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Gonzaga's Braden Huff named to Naismith Trophy watch list ahead of Purdue showdown .
