The Gonzaga Bulldogs will begin their 2026 NCAA Tournament run without Braden Huff as he continues to recover from a dislocated kneecap suffered in January. Huff has not played since Jan. 15, when he was injured ahead of Gonzaga’s road matchup against the Washington State Cougars.
However, that does not mean he will sit out the entirety of March Madness, with head coach Mark Few giving a positive update ahead of the first game against the Kennesaw State Owls.
“(Huff) is not going to be able to play this weekend or anything, but he is jogging and shooting and I think that's a real positive sign. Jalen is moving around pretty good,” he said per a post on X by Spokesman Review's Theo Lawson.
While the initial assessment had suggested Huff will be out for 4-8 weeks, his rehabilitation has now stretched into a ninth week, ruling him out of the opening weekend of the tournament. Regardless, while he is on the right track, Huff is unlikely to play until at least the second round.
Huff’s absence represents a significant loss for a Gonzaga team that enters the tournament with a 30–3 overall record and as the No. 3 seed. Before his injury, the 6-foot-10 redshirt junior was averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game across 18 appearances.
He was also shooting at 33.3% from the three-point range and a remarkable 69.7% from inside the arc. Huff reached the 20-point mark eight times and had a December stretch where he averaged 24.4 points per game over five contests.
Regardless, Gonzaga still surged down the stretch, winning nine of its final 11 regular-season games and capturing the WCC Tournament championship, marking the program’s 23rd conference title and 27th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Still, they will be hoping to be at full strength after the first round as even Jalen Warley is likely to return after an extended absence.
