Nov. 2—Hours before Gonzaga's season opener against Purdue, Braden Huff was named to the preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy, joining 49 other players who could be in the mix for college basketball's most prestigious individual award.
It's the third preseason accolade for Huff, who was also added to the preseason watch list for the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and named to the Pac-12's preseason Impact List, along with Gonzaga teammate Davis Fogle.
The senior forward averaged 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds for Gonzaga last season before suffering a knee injury that forced him to miss the team's final 17 games. Before the injury, Huff led the country in 2-point field goals and was shooting 66.2% from the field.
Huff scored a career-high 37 points in a Dec. 17 game against Campbell and followed with 28 points two weeks later during an 80-72 overtime victory against Seattle U.
The 6-foot-10 Huff has been effective in Gonzaga's exhibition games, leading all scorers with 19 points to go with 11 rebounds in a 76-72 loss to Arkansas. Huff had 11 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes of action in Wednesday's victory over NAIA Lewis-Clark State.
Gonzaga will encounter a handful of Naismith watch list selections during its challenging nonconference schedule. The Zags could face Alabama's Amari Allen and Aden Holloway in the second round of the Players Era Festival and will match up with Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. during a Dec. 19 nonconference game in Palm Springs, California. Gonzaga will also match up with Duke's trio of Naismith candidates — John Blackwell, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Patrick Ngongba II — when the teams square off on Feb. 20 in Detroit.
Aside from Huff, Utah State forward Mason Falslev, the 2025-26 Mountain West Player of the Year, was the only other Pac-12 player named to the preseason Naismith list.
