When I saw “Superman” last summer in theaters, the biggest thing I took away from the experience was that “The Odyssey” trailer looked unreal. A year later, Christopher Nolan’s passion project turned out to be the best movie I’ve seen all decade. After walking out of the McCarthy Athletic Center from Kraziness in the Kennel this afternoon, I feel like I just got a trailer of the Davis Fogle blockbuster.
While the theatrics of the event today were memorable, including DJ Sam, the dunk contest, and the student section’s lackluster attempt at Zombie Nation, the most memorable part was sophomore wing Fogle’s 30-point performance on 11-for-15 shooting for the White team. Not only did he drop the most individual points in Kraziness in the Kennel history, but Fogle also showcased his hops as he dunked over 7-1 sophomore center Massamba Diop to win the dunk contest.
It’s clear Fogle loves to shoot the three-ball, and it’s even clearer that his work with assistant coach Stephen Gentry over the offseason to improve his deep shot has paid off, hitting 6-for-7 from beyond the arc. This is a second-year player who just completely took over this event and gave everyone a preview of what I think will be one of the most memorable individual seasons by a Zag in recent memory.
Luckily for Gonzaga fans, there was still plenty more to be excited for this season, including the anticipated return of redshirt senior Braden Huff from a left knee injury. Hearing PA announcer Jamie Patrick announce his name nearly brought a tear to my eye, and seeing Huff on the court brought me happiness that I didn’t think I could have.
While not his best performance in Kraziness in the Kennel scoring-wise, Huff finished with 11 points on 2-for-3 shooting from beyond the arc, as well as grabbed seven rebounds. I felt a big difference last season when he was hurt was how many offensive rebounds the group gave up as a whole, so it’s comforting to know he can get up and secure the glass.
With Huff back, the Zags get better rim protection, and adding Diop to the frontcourt is even more impactful. The Arizona State Sun Devils transfer blocked redshirt freshman forward Parker Jefferson’s shot on the first possession of the scrimmage. Oh baby, does that get me fired up. It’s only a matter of time for Diop to develop under coach Mark Few, and I am stoked to see what he brings to the 2026-27 unit.
Despite his Navy team losing in the 56-45 outcome, sophomore guard Isiah Harwell put up 17 points on 4-for-5 three-pointers. Before getting into a rhythm, the Houston Cougars transfer was taken out of the game twice, seen holding his back. While not the sight fans would want to see, he quickly got 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 Xaivian Lee from the Florida Gators and ineligible fifth-year forward Chauncey Wiggins from the Florida State Seminoles, they did not get to see fifth-year point guard Javon Bennett of the Dayton Flyers, who was battling a shoulder injury that he suffered in practice earlier in the week. He remains ineligible with an ongoing court case against the NCAA in the state of Ohio.
This event still leaves 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 serious potential to do something legendary. I mentioned the theatrics earlier, as it felt like I was at a pep rally with an even bigger budget. While the student section was rowdy and loud, there may have been no bigger fan than ESPN analyst Sean Farnham, who emceed the event. Farnham called nearly every Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Saint Mary’s Gaels matchup with play-by-play broadcaster Dave Flemming, and if he ever calls that game again, I’ll have a hard time thinking he isn’t biased for the Zags.
Bottom line, there was a lot that Kraziness in the Kennel offered this year, but truly, it revealed a sneak peek into the ‘Davis Fogle Show.’ If he lives up to this trailer, it’ll be a smash-hit campaign for the ages.