Senior Send-Off: Gonzaga’s Byron Wesley

Byron Wesley came to Gonzaga with the hopes of playing on a good team that could make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. He certainly got his wish. And then some.

The Zags advanced to their second Elite Eight in school history and first since 1999. Transferring to GU seemed to be a no-brainer for Wesley even before Gonzaga’s magical season. In his three seasons at USC, the Trojans won a combined 31 games and missed the NCAA Tournament every season. With Gerard Coleman transferring, Gonzaga had an open scholarship. Since Wesley graduated with his bachelor’s degree from USC, he was immediately eligible for the Zags.

Wesley proved to be a huge factor for Gonzaga. He averaged 10.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game through 38 games this season. While he was a starter for the Zags, he had to take a different role to fit into Mark Few’s system. It is never easy to ask a player to change their role for the best interests of the team. Wesley made it seem seamless though, as he showed up to play every night.

His legacy at Gonzaga will be his commitment to the Zags as a graduate transfer. Gonzaga is quickly becoming one of the most popular transfer schools in the country. Players that qualify under the graduate transfer rule will definitely look to Gonzaga as a place to play for one more season in collegiate basketball.

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His commitment to doing what was best for his team will be the most important part of his Gonzaga legacy. He gave up a leading role at USC and became more of a supporting player for the Zags. He embodied the Gonzaga model of unselfishness that has made Gonzaga successful for so long. Thank you for an incredible season, Byron!