Injuries suck. There is no way to put a positive spin on a player being forced to miss a season before said season even gets underway. Gonzaga wing Steele Venters knows this better than anyone, as he missed the entire 2023-24 college basketball campaign due to an ACL tear. After a full year of rehab, the 2022-23 Big Sky Player of the Year looked poised to finally suit up for the Zags and compete for major minutes for one of the top rosters in the nation.
Unfortunately, it has been confirmed that Venters has torn his left achilles tendon and will be forced to miss the entirety of the 2024-25 schedule. It is heartbreaking news for a player who will be forced to miss consecutive years. Venters will likely petition for an injury exemption to protect his eligibility as he looks to make a return to action next year. Yet, the biggest question remains: How does Gonzaga respond to the loss of a key piece as their hunt for an elusive national title continues?
Gonzaga's Steele Venters will miss the 2024-25 season due to an achilles injury, per release.
Venters missed all of last season due to a knee injury.
Averaged 15.3 PPG at Eastern Washington in 2022-23.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 27, 2024
What Does Steele Venters Injury Mean for Gonzaga’s Season
Next Man Up
With this devastating news so fresh, it can be hard for a program to think of the future. Yet, as the old saying goes “next man up”. Depth was a huge concern for this roster last year. When Venters was forced to sit out, the options to fill the void were limited. It resulted in a true freshman, Dusty Stromer, absorbing huge minutes early in the year. The silver lining for Gonzaga this year is that the revamped second unit should have plenty of options to step into a major role.
Option 1: Michael Ajayi
A familiar face, albeit one that spent last year playing for a conference opponent, looks to be the favorite to slot into the starting role. To many, Michael Ajayi was already likely going to start. Without Venters in the mix, it may be a done deal. Ajayi spent the first two years of his college career playing for Pierce College. He earned an NCAA Division I spot with the Pepperdine Waves and was one of the breakout players in the country. He would go on to lead the entire WCC in points per game (17.2), was second in rebounds per game (9.9) and shot a blistering 47% from three on 2.5 attempts a night. After impressing at the NBA Combine, Ajayi brings a great blend of rebounding, length, size, and scoring to the wing that Gonzaga lacked last year.
Option 2: Dusty Stromer
Dusty Stromer’s freshman year was a bit all over the place. It should come as no surprise that the inexperienced wing out of Sherman Oaks, California was always going to have a hard time replicating the production of a proven college veteran like Venters. While he only averaged 4.8 points per game last year and struggled from the field with a 37.1 field goal percentage, Stromer had his moments. He shot the ball well enough from deep, attempting just under three shots from behind the arc and connecting at a 36% clip.
While his rebounding and defensive abilities don’t jump off the screen, Stromer does compete. He did not back away from the challenges of matching up against teams like Purdue, UCONN, or San Diego State. With another year to build his body and confidence, Stromer knows what filling in for Venters demands and has done it once before.
Option 3: Emmanuel Innocenti
The dark horse and wild card of this exercise is incoming sophomore transfer Emmanuel Innocenti. A native of Bergamo, Italy, Innocenti spent his freshman year playing for Tarleton State in the Western Athletic Conference. At a glance, his averages of 6.6 points while slashing 40.6% from the floor and 30.8% from three won’t blow anyone away. But, Innocenti specializes in something Gonzaga is always seemingly in need of, defense.
At six-foot-five with a seven-foot-one wingspan, Innocenti simply does things on the defensive side of the ball Venters couldn’t dream of. While his offensive game needs a lot of work, he does rebound well and even has some playmaking upside with just under three assists per game last year. He posted 10 games of three or more steals and started 33 contests. For all his work on the court, Innocenti earned All-Freshman and All-Defensive honors in his lone year in the WAC.
What’s Next For Steele Venters and Gonzaga?
Regardless of their fandom, fans of college basketball should feel for Venters. Two years ago, he averaged 15.3 points per game while earning Big Sky Player of the Year honors over Dalton Knecht. The game is better when he is on the court, but Gonzaga has loaded up a roster that is deep and ready to weather the storm. Ajayi should get the starting nod as a proven player who has NBA upside. Yet, don’t sleep on the pair of sophomores that could contend for minutes at the small forward position as the year goes on. As for Venters, here’s hoping his sprits remain unbroken as he pushes to get back on the court as soon as possible!
