Gonzaga’s Venters to miss 2nd straight season

Gonzaga standout Steele Venters will miss his second consecutive season due to injury after he tore his left Achilles tendon this week, the school said Tuesday.

Venters averaged 15.3 points per game and connected on 37% of his 3-point attempts at Eastern Washington during the 2022-23 season, when he led the Eagles to the Big Sky regular-season crown. The 6-foot-7 wing then transferred to Gonzaga last year.

Last season, he played in just one exhibition game for the Bulldogs before he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in a practice. He had been a projected starter.

Entering this season, he was again expected to be a key contributor for a Gonzaga squad with national title aspirations once he fully recovered from the torn ACL.

“We are heartbroken for Steele,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said in a statement. “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.”