SPOKANE, Wash. – Steele Venters, a transfer from Eastern Washington, signed a financial aid agreement to attend Gonzaga University and will join the men's basketball team for the 2023-24 season.
 
"Steele is a great addition to the program," GU Head Coach Mark Few said. "He is our kind of guy. He did an incredible job at Eastern and was a big part of a successful winning program. I love that he is a hard worker and has made himself better of these years. I think he can be a real major contributor to this year's team."
 
Venters, a 6-foot-7 wing, was named Big Sky Player of the Year last season as a redshirt sophomore. He has two years of eligibility remaining in his college career. The Ellensburg, Wash., native, started all 67 games for the Eagles each of the past two seasons.
 
Venters averaged 15.3 points and shot 37.1 percent from three-point range in 2022-23, after putting up 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and shooting 43.4 percent from behind the arc in 2021-22. Venters scored at least 20 points on eight occasions, including a 33-point effort in a win over North Dakota State. He also had 27 points in a win at Washington State during the first round of the NIT.
 
Venters helped lead Eastern Washington to the Big Sky regular-season title, a run that included an 18-game winning streak from December to late February, which was the longest win streak in the nation at the time.
 
Venters graduated from Ellensburg High School in 2019. He averaged 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game as a senior, including a career-high of 37 points and four other games with at least 30 points. He was first team Associated Press 2A All-State selection as a junior when he averaged 26 points per game, and averaged 13 as a sophomore. Steele scored over 1,200 points in his high school career. Off the court, he accumulated a 3.26 grade point average in high school and was a member of the National Honor Society.