When I saw “Superman” in theaters last summer, the biggest thing I took away from the experience was that the “Olyssia” trailer looked wrong. A year later, Christopher Nolan’s passion project turned out to be the best movie I’ve seen all decade. Walking out of the McCarthy Athletic Center from Kraziness in the Kennel this afternoon, I feel like I just got a Davis Fogle blockbuster trailer.
While the day’s theatrical events were memorable, including DJ Sam, the running contest, and the failed attempt by the student section at Zombie Nation, the most memorable part was Fogle’s 30-point sophomore performance on 11-for-15 shooting for the White team. Not only did he drop the single most points in Kraziness in Kennel history, but Fogle also showed off a 7-1 sinker over sophomore center Massamba Diop to come away with the tournament crown.
Fogle clearly likes to shoot the three ball, and it’s even clearer that his work with assistant coach Stephen Gentry over the offseason to improve his high shot has paid off, hitting 6-for-7 from beyond the arc. This is the second year player who has recently received this event and has shown everyone what I think will be one of the most memorable individual seasons by the Zag in recent memory.
Fortunately for Gonzaga fans, there’s still plenty more to be excited about this season, including the anticipated return of redshirt senior Braden Huff from a left knee injury. Hearing PA announcer Jamie Patrick announce his name almost brought a tear to my eye, and seeing Huff in the courtroom brought me joy that I didn’t think I could have.
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While not his best performance at the Kennel Kraziness scoring-wise, Huff finished with 11 points on 2-for-3 shooting from beyond the arc, grabbing seven rebounds for the White team. I felt a big difference last time, when he was injured, how many annoying bounces in the whole group was released, so he was comforted to know that he could get up and be safe on the glass.
With Huff back, the Zags have a more solid edge, and Diop is more impactful up front. The Arizona State Sun Devils transfer, representing the Navy team, stopped the redshirt freshman before Parker Jefferson’s shot on the first possession of the scrimmage. Oh, baby, I’m fired up. There’s only so much time for Diop to develop under coach Mark Pauci, and I’m stoked to see what he brings to the unit in 2026-27.
Although the team lost 56-45, sophomore guard Isiah Harwell put up 17 points on 4-for-5 three pointers. Before entering the game, the Houston Cougars transfer was taken out of the game twice after being seen holding back. While you don’t want to see the view, it quickly goes up into a flow state. Harwell will be another young talent to keep an eye on throughout the season.
While Gonzaga fans got a glimpse of eligible fifth-year point guard Naivian Lee from the Florida Gators and ineligible fifth-year forward Chauncey Wiggins from the Florida State Seminoles, they didn’t get to see fifth-year point guard Javon Bennett of the Dayton Flyers, who is battling a shoulder injury he suffered in practice earlier in the week. He remains ineligible with an ongoing lawsuit against the NCAA in the state of Ohio.
The results still leave a lot on the table as to how this first season in the Pac 12 Conference will go, but the biggest certainty is that Fogle has the serious potential to do something legendary. I’ve mentioned theaters before, when I felt like I was in a rush with a bigger budget. While the student section was loud and loud, there may be no bigger fan than ESPN analyst Sean Farnham, who emceed the event. Farnham called almost all the Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. St. Mary’s Gaels with sports broadcaster David Flemming, and if he ever calls that game again, I’ll have a hard time thinking he’s not for the Zags.
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Bottom line, there was a lot that Kraziness offered at the Kennel this year, but really, he hinted at a peek at the “Davis Fogle Show.” If he lives up to this six, it will be a spearhead campaign for the ages.