SAN JOSE, CA -- When it comes to Gonzaga, we all know this program is a well-oiled machine, but nearly 30 years ago, that just wasn't the case and in one particular year, the program had to recruit a student mid-season to play D-1 basketball.
Gino Cerchiai's jumper has aged a bit, but his story never gets old.
"So, it was January of 1984 and he said the coaches want to speak with you," said Cerchiai.
The 1984 Zags, led by none other than John Stockton, were unraveling due to injuries. Bulldogs head coach Jay Hillock needed another body on the team, so he went to the student body for an answer.
"They asked if I knew the UCLA offense 'Flex.' I said, 'Yeah, I know that offense,' and that was the end of it," said Cerchiai.
The San Francisco native went from a fan in the stands, to sitting on the bench with the Bulldogs in a matter of days. Before there were ‘Rem-V-P’ chants for current bench player Rem Bakamus, Cerchiai would hear the thunderous roars of 'Gino' as he quickly became a fan favorite.
"Our first game I suited up, I actually got in. I shot it. Didn't make it, unfortunately, but was probably a good thing because everybody there. Who knows what would have happened to have one of them on the court?” Cerchiai explained.
Cerchiai actually claims he is the best free-throw shooter in Gonzaga history. The then sophomore went a whopping two-of-two from the charity stripe, which of course is 100 percent. His time on the team was short-lived as this was only a half-year gig, but he can say he played with a future NBA Hall-of-Famer.
"I worked with John a lot on the pick-and-roll."
He can also boast he played for one of the most successful collegiate basketball programs in country.
"I'm very lucky to be part of this and I just hope they keep going this year," he said.
Cerchiai said he was given the number 11 because it was an unlucky jersey. They wanted him to break that curse. He takes credit for the success of Domas Sabonis and David Stockton. Stockton's dad actually mentioned Cerchiai in his book, “Assisted”, but John listed him as being 5’7” tall and Cerchiai wants to get the record straight and say he is 5’11”.