Steele Venters, a Gonzaga student, sends a heartbroken message to his colleagues and fans about his ineligibility for the 2024–2025 season.
The Gonzaga basketball program released a press statement stating that Steele Venters will miss the 2024–2025 season because of an Achilles injury. Just devastating information. He’s had the worst luck imaginable over the last few years; I can’t even begin to picture what’s going through his mind at the moment.
The Eastern Washington player who was named the Big Sky Player of the Year two years in a row suffered a season-ending injury just prior to the start of the season. About this time last year, he tore his ACL. When Venters last played for the Eagles in 2022–2023, he averaged 15.3 points per game on 45.7 FG%, 37.1 3PT%, and 84.5 FT%. When he returned to Cheney for the upcoming season, I thought he would be that guy again. The coaching staff would not have had the luxury of having him extend the floor.
In Gonzaga’s news release, Mark Few stated, “We are heartbroken for Steele.” He was exerting a great deal of effort to recover from his knee injury. We’ll keep helping Steele get well, and we have faith that he will return even stronger.
Fortunately, Gonzaga has a wide range of alternatives available to them for the upcoming season since they are deep in the wing. Michael Ajayi, Dusty Stromer, Emmanuel Innocenti, Khalif Battle, and Jun Seok Yeo. Braeden Smith’s redshirt will continue; nothing will change as a result of Venters’ injury.
Venters was desperate to return to the court. Is it really too much to expect for him to play ball for the Zags? Nothing like this should happen to an athlete. It looks like his dream just became a nightmare. By June of next year, he ought to be able to reach at least 90%, and by August of the same year, he ought to be prepared to play at full pace on the court. It’s terrible to witness something like this at any time—such a nice child. Feel terribly sorry for him.
Recall how Karnowski missed the first few games of 2015 due to a back injury, only to return and play in the national championship game the following year? Or Killian Tillie, who persevered despite injuries throughout his career to make it to the NBA?
Well, Steele Venters will return and spearhead this with the backing of his brothers in uniform team to a rematch for the championship the next year. The key is not how you fall, but rather how you get back up stronger than before. After everything, he will be much stronger. Steele is his name, after all!
Leave a Reply