SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Gonzaga's Steele Venters injured his left Achilles tendon and will miss the upcoming 2024-25 season, the guard's second straight season missed due to injury.

Venters missed the entire 2023-24 season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee two days before the regular-season opener. The school announced Tuesday that he’ll be sidelined for another season due to the Achilles injury.

“We are heartbroken for Steele,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said in a statement. “He was working so 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.”

Venters was the Big Sky Conference player of the year in the 2022-23 season at Eastern Washington. Venters started his career as a walk-on before averaging 16.7 points and shooting 43% from 3-point range in his final season at Eastern Washington before transferring to Gonzaga.

Venters was expected to be a significant contributor for a Gonzaga roster that returns most of its key players from last year’s team that reached the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual national runner-up Purdue.

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