A small, Jesuit school in Eastern Washington wasn’t supposed to be a dream landing spot for young basketball players across the globe. College players weren’t supposed to leave their blue blood universities to play for a school in Spokane. A school, whose name much of America still can’t pronounce correctly, was never supposed to produce 10 NBA draft picks in a 15-year span. Then again, Gonzaga men’s basketball was never supposed to make it to the national championship, either.
At the center of this GU men’s team and its unexpected rise to prominence is assistant coach Tommy Lloyd, who has helped head coach Mark Few transform GU into a powerhouse and one of the NCAA’s most attractive destinations for players.