Richard Fox, former Gonzaga center and current analyst on Zags’ telecasts on KHQ and SWX, and yours truly have talked about Braeden Smith’s impressive recent stretch in the last two [Zags Insiders Podcasts](https://www.spokesman.com/podcasts/zags-basketball-insiders/).
Make it three.
We discussed Smith again after his 15 points and eight assists in a 96-56 blowout over Pepperdine on Sunday, but we also spent considerable time on Tyon Grant-Foster, who was solid at both ends of the floor, and attempting to identify GU’s best NBA prospect.
Here are some highlights, edited for space considerations. For the entire pod, visit: [https://youtu.be/AmtRyjF0lB8?si=4l0VuD9uJgd8R8F3](https://youtu.be/AmtRyjF0lB8?si=4l0VuD9uJgd8R8F3)
### Grant-Foster swatting and scoring
**Fox:** His offensive numbers had fallen off the cliff (after Michigan). His efficiency had fallen off and it was having an impact on everything else he was doing. There are examples of players where their identity and their value is almost entirely tied to their ability to score the ball.
Luka Doncic in the NBA would be a great example. He’s not a guy that defensively you’re relying on. That’s an extreme example. Tyon came in this year and his identity, at least it appeared to me, was tethered to his ability to score. It felt like if he wasn’t scoring, then everything else was also not there. It’s an adjustment coming from a place like Grand Canyon where he was the guy. He had a real big green light and could be aggressive all the time. He was sun and all the planets revolved around him. That is not the case here. You are a part of this, but you are not the piece.
What you saw (vs. Pepperdine) is his defense and his effort defensively spurred his offense. If he can have that approach – some nights I’m going to score and some nights I’m not, but I’m going to be this force on the defensive end – that’s a huge win for GU.
I’m betting the story is not Gonzaga makes it to the Elite Eight because Grant-Foster has 26 points. My bet is the story is Gonzaga goes to the Elite Eight because Grant-Foster has five steals, three blocks and goes 5 of 6 from field and shuts down some dude. That is what makes him special for what Gonzaga’s purposes are this year.
**Meehan:** He was coming off a rough patch. He had maybe his best seven-minute stretch since Alabama (21 points, seven rebounds, two blocks). He was pretty good against Michigan (14 points, eight rebounds, three steals) but it got lost in the avalanche the Wolverines put on the Zags.
He’s a talent. He’s 6-7, pretty bouncy, pretty athletic, really a scorer’s mindset. He’s starting to come around. He had seven straight games where he didn’t shoot 50% in any one of them. It’s one thing to score a lot of points, it’s another to do it on fewer shots – the Braden Huff approach. He was very efficient (against Pepperdine).
You can see how he changes the team defensively. He had four blocks, I think all but one was help-side. When he blocks somebody he volleyball spikes that thing and you see the bench kind of explode. The Zags don’t have a true rim protector. They have interior defense with Graham (Ike) and Braden, but they’re not guys that swat a lot of shots. Grant-Foster leads the team in blocks with 17.
That can really be (his) avenue, rebounding, shot blocking, defending. I kind of got lost in all the offensive numbers he had at Grand Canyon, but the kid could do as much (defensively), which the Zags could very much use.
### GU’s top NBA prospect
**Meehan:** Dan Dickau (on the GU-Pepperdine broadcast) said (Davis) Fogle might be Gonzaga’s best NBA prospect. Fogle does have a very high top-end and could very well be there in a year or two, but I’d probably go with Mario (Saint-Supery) right now. Two-way player, his size fits in at point guard at 6-3. He’s played so much high-level competition in Spain on the national team. Same thing at Gonzaga, he’s playing UCLA, Michigan, Kentucky – he’s seeing the best of the best in this country as well.
Gonzaga has a ton of very good to great college players. Any of the top nine, 10 guys, that’s what they have. The NBA stuff, all the rankings, this guy is No. 12 of No. 50, they don’t have a ton of those. Even Ike, as productive as he’s been, or Huff, that league always wants certain bigs, certain stretch capability. In the NBA sense, it’s a different evaluation than just, ‘Oh, he averaged 18 and 8.’ That doesn’t impress them quite the same.
(Mario) is going to get better and better. His shot is something that will work, it needs to probably be quicker down the road. One of the things Corey Kispert changed is how quickly he catches and fires (in the NBA). I don’t discount Fogle. I’ve told you if Jalen Warley had a 3-point shot he’s draftable. Second round maybe you take a chance because he has size, he can do everything else, guard, doesn’t need the ball in his hands.
Ike will get a shot, all these guys will get a shot, at least in summer league. Who knows, you get your foot in the door and maybe you stick.
**Fox:** I know what Dan is saying. Two things can be true. There are parts to both Mario and Davis that intrigue you and you can see how it would work in the league. For Mario, he’s a big point guard. Part of the evaluation in the NBA is who you are playing with and the spacing you have. There’s a lot more space at that level. Mario, with more space, better athletes, with his passing … he needs to be able to shoot the ball at that level and I think defensively he can hold up.
The reality is neither one of them is ready. When you saw Chet Holmgren, (Jalen) Suggs, (Zach) Collins and (Domantas) Sabonis, you could see them playing for Gonzaga on a Tuesday and if they were on the road, they could play for the (Sacramento) Kings the next night.
They’re not ready now, you’re trying to project where they might be. It was interesting to see Davis play in the first half against the rotation of Pepperdine. In five minutes, he had a couple points off a dunk, one steal, didn’t turn it over. Obviously in the second half against a pretty deflated Pepperdine team, he went off again, which we’ve come to see. Do we see that (playing in the first half) against Seattle U on Friday or LMU on Sunday?
I don’t like the conversation because it just feels so premature for both of them. Davis has NBA size, he appears to be all of 6-8, long-limbed, he’s going to clearly put on muscle and get stronger. He wants to play on both sides of the ball.