3 takeaways from Gonzaga's 2025 Kraziness in the Kennel event

Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball is back.

The 2025-26 college hoops season began on Saturday at Kraziness in the Kennel, featuring a first look at coach Mark Few's new look roster heading into Gonzaga's final season in the West Coast Conference.

Kraziness began with player introductions, which included first timers Alonzo Metz, Parker Jefferson, Davis Fogle, Mario Saint-Supery, Jalen Warley, Adam Miller, and - to a very enthusiastic Kennel Club crowd - Tyon Grant-Foster, who was finally able to join the team in Spokane after the NCAA granted him a practice waiver on Wednesday.

The festivities included a three-point shootout and an intrasquad scrimmage, which ended with the Blue team defeating the White team, 41-39, behind 13 points from Adam Miller and nine points and three rebounds from Jalen Warley.

The result was a bit of a surprise, as the white team featured presumed starters Graham Ike, Braden Huff, and Grant-Foster as well as Steele Venters, Emannuel Innocenti, and Jefferson. Blue had Miller and Braeden Smith - Gonzaga's presumed starting backcourt, as well as Warley, Fogle, and Ismaila Diagne.

Kraziness also serves as a valuable recruiting weekend for coach Few and the Zags, and this year was no different with 4-star center Sam Funches in the house. The Kennel Club crowd welcomed Funches with raucous applause and early chants of 'we want Funches', hoping to entice the 7'0 big man to choose Gonzaga over a laundry list of programs that includes Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and LSU.

Below is a look at the three biggest takeaways from Gonzaga's annual scrimmage, with one month to go until the season officially tips off on Nov. 3 against Texas Southern.

Tyon Grant-Foster is here!

Grant-Foster was announced to a roaring crowd early on at Kraziness, having only received word he could participate three days prior.

The 6'7 wing and former WAC Player of the Year showed glimpses of the highlight reel athleticism and fluidity that made him such an elite scorer at Grand Canyon, but he also looked like a player who has spent virtually no time with his teammates this summer.

Grant-Foster ultimately finished scoreless in 14 minutes, going 0-4 from the field and 0-2 from three. He had three fouls and a turnover, along with a pair of assists to Venters in transition. There were a few moments that really stood out, including a putback dunk that didn't count after a foul was called, some strong drives to the rim, and good one-on-one defense, but he also had miscommunications with teammates and out of rhythm shot attempts - nothing unusual at Kraziness, particularly not for a player who just arrived on campus.

Steele Venters was lights out

Steele Venters certainly didn't look like a player coming off two straight missed seasons on Saturday. The 6'7 wing stepped onto the floor and immediately made his presence known in the three point shootout, scoring a contest-high 21 points in the first round to advance to the finals where he defeated Adam Miller, 19 to 17.

"It feels amazing," Venters told ESPN announcer Sean Farnham after the contest. "[The] last few years have been a grind and it’s great to be out here with the guys."

The hot shooting carried over for Venters in the scrimmage, who drilled three of his four three point attempts for nine points. Two of those came on transition passes from Grant-Foster, but the other was a contested pull-up - which showcased his ability to score off the dribble and not just with his feet set.

Last year was one of Gonzaga's worst three point shooting teams, and Venters' health and productivity will be a massive factor for coach Few's team in 2025-26.

Braden Huff dominated

While the Blue team was a surprise winner, it was Braden Huff who dominated on Saturday. The redshirt junior scored a game-high 17 points on 8-13 shooting, adding six rebounds (all offensive) and an assist. Huff and Ike demonstrated an incredibly fluid high-low offense, a sight that should raise concern for every opposing coach who happens to watch this scrimmage.

The two bigs will be incredibly difficult to defend all season long, and Huff's ability to establish position on the block, score with either hand, and fight through physicality could make him a breakout superstar in 2025-26.