Steele venters tore Achilles, to miss another Gonzaga season

Gonzaga standout Steele Venters will miss his second straight season with an injury after tearing 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 transferred to Gonzaga last year.

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

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

“We are heartbroken for Steele,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said in a statement. “He has been working very 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.”