The Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns will both be missing key frontcourt contributors when they meet in the Round of 32 Saturday in Portland. The Longhorns will continue to miss forward Lassina Traore, who has sat out their last 11 games.
While the Bulldogs are without forward Braden Huff, who injured his knee a month before Traore did. Both players have been officially ruled out.
Gonzaga Forward Braden Huff Keeps Options Open for Return
Huff suffered a dislocated kneecap during practice on Jan. 14, just one day before Gonzaga’s road game at Washington State. The 6-foot-10 forward was playing defense when he took an awkward step and felt an instant pop in his left knee.
Before the injury derailed his season, Huff was a driving force for the Bulldogs. Through 18 games, he was averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 66.2% from the field. Gonzaga has suffered two of its three losses this season since he went down.
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Huff addressed reporters on Wednesday and remained optimistic about a potential return later in the tournament. “I’m feeling good. Knee is coming along good. I’m jogging, shooting. I’m out this weekend, but the rest of the tournament is up in air,” Huff said.
The March Madness injury report for Texas vs. Gonzaga.
Both Lassina Traore and Braden Huff officially ruled out.
Huff averaged 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds before his injury. Last played Jan. 8. pic.twitter.com/08GfMS7x9Z
— Zach Dimmitt (@ZachDimmitt7) March 21, 2026
Traore, meanwhile, is not with the team, and there’s a possibility that the Xavier transfer played his final collegiate game.
The graduate forward hasn’t played since taking a knock to his surgically repaired knee in the win over the South Carolina Gamecocks more than three weeks ago. After averaging a double-double in two seasons with Long Beach State, Traore transferred to Xavier to play for Miller, entering last season. However, he suffered an ACL injury that forced him to miss the entire season, and the knee trouble resurfaced during SEC play this year.
“We’re at the point now, I don’t want to be presumptuous, we don’t know what our future is, but there’s a real chance that he won’t play again,” Texas head coach Sean Miller told reporters.
In 23 games before the injury, Traore averaged 3.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.8 minutes, providing valuable frontcourt depth as the Longhorns’ best rebounder off the bench.
Gonzaga’s Mark Few and Texas’ Sean Miller Share a Long History
This will be the sixth overall meeting between Gonzaga and Texas, with the Zags leading the all-time series 4-1. The last meeting in 2022 saw the Longhorns upset then-No. 2 Gonzaga 93-74.
The coaching matchup adds another layer of intrigue. Bulldogs head coach Mark Few and Longhorns’ Miller faced each other seven times when Miller was with the Arizona Wildcats.
Few had the overall advantage, going 4-3. However, Miller won the only NCAA Tournament match, handing the Bulldogs an 84-61 defeat in 2014.
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After Miller’s tumultuous exit at Arizona, he returned to Xavier, where he and Few battled again. Few won that matchup 88-84.
Gonzaga enters the matchup as the heavy favorite. The Zags have been one of the most reliable teams in the country when facing lower-seeded opponents under Few, going 26-5 as the higher seed since 2009.
Tipoff is set for 7:10 p.m. ET on TBS.
