R-Jay Barsh on how Gonzaga's 'family' culture is a huge factor in recruiting

'A lot of players who have transferred, inherently in their hearts they know, they want a basketball family,' Barsh said.

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

It’s not hard to spot a former Gonzaga men’s basketball player in the Spokane area these days.

Many program favorites have ventured back to the Inland Northwest over the years. Some make the travel back during a short break in their NBA schedules, like Corey Kispert, Kelly Olynyk, Jalen Suggs and Rui Hachimura all have at some point in their careers. Others have returned to Spokane to simply settle down and get involved in the community. Whatever the case may be, the program’s past roots undeniably intertwine with the current players.

“Go look at our staff and see how many assistant coaches have been here. And go look at our staff and see the ones who left and what they’re doing and see how they’re still hanging out with coach Few,” Gonzaga assistant coach R-Jay Barsh said. “When you start to see those things, and then you’re in the weight room and former players are in there … it portrays that message that this can be my basketball family.”

In an era where player movement is at an all-time high thanks to opportunities granted by NIL and the transfer portal, the relationship between a player and a coach can often be overlooked when about 2,000 players leave their previous school in a single offseason.

“A lot of players who have transferred, inherently in their hearts they know, they want a basketball family,” Barsh said. “So what I was telling and articulating to parents was, Gonzaga basketball family is going to be that. You know you can call the Gonzaga family."

There’s plenty of evidence to back up Barsh’s pitch — just take a look at Gonzaga’s coaching staff. Brian Michaelson, Stephen Gentry, Zach Norvell Jr. and J.P. Batista all played for Few at some point over the course of the last 25 years before rejoining the program as an assistant coach down the road.

“If you step foot on this campus and you put that jersey on, you just signed for life,” Barsh said. “Go look at our staff and see how many assistant coaches have been here. And go look at our staff and see the ones who left and what they’re doing and see how they’re still hanging out with coach Few. Go see how many jobs coach Few has [declined] to stay at Gonzaga.”

Barsh opened up on Gonzaga’s recruiting process, what he learned in his first season as an assistant coach with the Zags and much more on a new Gonzaga Nation episode.

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE BELOW:

Produced by Thomas Gallagher.

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