UW's Venters Is In Quadruple OT As College Player

Meet Steele Venters, and one almost expected him to have a long, gray beard covering up the "Washington" name on the front of his practice jersey.

Or use a walker as he made his way up and down the floor at Alaska Airlines Arena.

It almost seems as if Venters has been around college basketball longer than the 3-point line, which is his best friend.

While it's mind-boggling to think about, the 6-foot-7 shooting guard originally from Ellensburg, Washington, now finds himself in his eighth season as an NCAA player, which has to be some sort of record.

He's 25 years old.

Yet even with the high mileage on his personal odometer, Venters says he's ready to make the most of his last trip through the Division 1 basketball landscape.

"This is the best shape I've been in in college, conditioning-wise and overall strength and quickness," he said. "I feel really good."

Venters comes to the Huskies following four seasons at Eastern Washington and three more at Gonzaga, with his career extended because two years with the Zags were completely wiped out by ACL knee and Achilles tendon injuries.

He went from walk-on and redshirt at Eastern to being named Big Sky Most Valuable Player by his fourth season in Cheney.

He played against Danny Sprinkle and his Montana State teams six times and won four. He had games of 3, 6, 6, 19, 17 and 23 points against him.

"I always admired the physicality his teams played with and he's always been a winner at the other schools he's been at," he said of his UW coach.

Transferring to Gonzaga, Venters played in an exhibition game and was all set to become a starter for the 2023-24 season when he tore up his knee.

A year later while preparing for the opener, he ruptured his Achilles and was sidelined again.

Last season, Venters finally appeared in 27 games and started 10 for Gonzaga, averaging 5 points per game while shooting 38.6 percent, 36.7 from 3-point range.

He has career college totals of 111 games and 77 starts, and has averaged 11.4 points per game while shooting 44.6 percent overall, 39.6 from behind the line.

When Venters became a college player for the first time for the 2019-20 basketball season, the Huskies fielded a starting lineup of Jaden McDaniels, Isaiah Stewart, Hameir Wright, Jamal Bey and Nahziah Carter.

The COVID epidemic was fast approaching.

Sprinkle was in his first season as a head coach in Bozeman, the first of his three coaching jobs.

Yes, that was a long time ago.

Double the career most college players have.

Quadruple overtime.

Many 3-pointers and multiple surgeries ago.

The Huskies are prepared to send him out in a positive manner.

"I want him to end his career on the high note that he should," Sprinkle said.