The Gonzaga basketball program got tough-luck news on Tuesday as it was announced that wing Steele Venters suffered a left Achilles tendon injury and is expected to miss the upcoming season. The injury comes on the heels of Venters' missed 2023-24 season due to a torn ACL in his other knee.

“We are heartbroken for Steele,” Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few said to The Spokesman-Review reporter Jim Meehan. “He was working so hard to come back from his knee injury. We will continue to support Steele through his healing process and know he will come back better and stronger.”

The news came shortly after UCLA basketball head coach Mick Cronin spoke about an upcoming series between his program and the Zags. The Gonzaga basketball team also added an intriguing prospect to its 2025 class.

Venters' impact on Bulldogs 

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few reacts to a play against Purdue during the second half of the NCAA tournament Midwest Regional Sweet 16 round at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Friday, March 29, 2024.
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Venters is a 6-foot-7, 195-pound junior guard from Ellensberg, Wash. A transfer from Eastern Washington University, Venters averaged 15.3 points per game last season, one year from removed from a 16.7 points-per-game season the previous year.

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One of the most talented and successful mid-major-conference players in college basketball over the last three seasons, Venters would have added an important dimension to Gonzaga basketball, who lost 80-68 to Zach Edey's Purdue basketball team in the Sweet 16 this past spring, one game after defeating Bill Self's talented Kansas Jayhawks.

Venters is also a high-volume 3-point shooter with great accuracy. He shot 43.4 percent from 3-point range last season before shooting 37.1 percent from the field in 2022-23.

Will Venters return to form with Gonzaga? 

With so many challenging injuries to overcome, it's fair to wonder whether Venters will ever be the player he once was with Eastern Washington. Coach Few, for his part, is doing his best to stay positive and to send out positive messages to Venters. With the right amount of hard work, nutrition and given enough time, he could return to form with Gonzaga basketball at some point.

For now, he will be forced to watch from the sidelines as Few and Gonzaga basketball prepare for another potentially deep March Madness run.