PROVO — During last February’s showdown between Gonzaga and BYU at The Kennel, Jesse Wade gazed at the student section and was grateful for, and humbled by, what he saw — or, rather, what he did not see.
For years, when the Cougars have played in Spokane, some sitting in the Gonzaga student section have dressed up in missionary attire — complete with white shirts and ties and bicycle helmets — as a way to poke fun at BYU and missionaries that represent its sponsoring institution, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Cougars perennially have a number of returned missionaries on their roster.
At the time, Wade was a reserve freshman guard for the Zags. He’s a Latter-day Saint who had recently finished serving in the France Lyon Mission.
In the days leading up to last season’s game against BYU, administrators at Gonzaga, a Jesuit school, urged students to demonstrate respect for the religious beliefs of others and avoid dressing up as missionaries. They pointed out that one of the Zags’ own players — Wade — had served a mission.
So on that night when the Cougars arrived at The Kennel, Wade noticed the crowd, seeing if any students were dressed up like missionaries.
“No one was,” Wade recalled. “It was really cool.”
Certainly, he appreciated the gesture.
“It meant a lot to me, that they felt that way and wanted to be respectful and told the students not to dress like that and they didn’t,” Wade said. “It shows what kind of students go to Gonzaga. It’s such a big rivalry game. It’s the biggest thing that they use to mock (BYU) and they put that aside.
“It shows what kind of university Gonzaga is. It’s an amazing place. They’ve got great leaders on that campus,” he continued. “And for them to be conscious of the fact that I am a returned missionary and the way they dress sometimes can have the appearance of making fun of missionaries, I think it’s just a big showing of the character of the people up there.”
Now, as No. 4 Gonzaga gets set to visit BYU Thursday (9 p.m. MST, ESPN2), Wade, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound sophomore, will be sitting on the Cougar bench.
I’m excited for next year. It’s a long process but it’s worth it, for sure. – Jesse Wade
Here’s a brief summary of what Wade, a Kaysville native, has experienced so far — he signed with Gonzaga out of high school, served a mission, played in a limited role as a freshman for the Zags, then transferred to BYU last summer.
Wade, who has three years of eligibility remaining, is redshirting this season and isn’t playing due to NCAA transfer rules.
After spending a year immersed in the culture of Gonzaga basketball and developing strong friendships at that school, Wade will be watching his former teammates and coaches battle his current teammates and coaches at the Marriott Center this week.
“I don’t know what that’s going to be like. I’ve never experienced it before but I’m sure it will be weird, definitely,” Wade said. “A year ago, I was playing against BYU. I’ve got such a close relationship with the Gonzaga guys. I’ve got some good friends over there — lifelong friends. It was such a great experience to be there. And I got super close with the whole team. It will be weird.”
Although Wade has been sidelined this season, he’s played a big role on the Cougars’ scout team, imitating in practice opposing teams’ star players. He said he’s been able to hone his game.
“I’m better than I’ve ever been right now. I’m confident. I’ve expanded areas of my game. Weaknesses I’ve had, I’ve worked on them to turn them into strengths,” Wade said. “And the strengths that I have, I’ve worked on them and I’ve gotten better and better at them.
“Right now, I believe I’m playing the best basketball I’ve ever played in my life. I know it’s been so long since people have really been able to watch me play. I’m excited for next year. It’s a long process but it’s worth it, for sure.”
Wade was named the 2015 Deseret News Mr. Basketball after scoring 1,367 points at Davis High and averaging 26.8 points per game as a senior. He committed to play for Gonzaga in 2013.
After serving a two-year mission to France, Wade enrolled at Gonzaga and played sparingly in 2017-18 after suffering an injury early in the season. He ended up averaging 1.3 points in 20 games for the Zags, who advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Wade thoroughly enjoyed his short time at Gonzaga, learning from coach Mark Few and his staff.
“It’s an amazing program and they know how to win,” he said. “In basketball, it was a great experience to see how they do things, how they got to where they are and also just in life, to see the kind of mentality that they have and how you can incorporate that not just on the court but off the court as well.
“So it was an amazing experience to be there for a year to learn from so many smart people,” Wade continued. “The culture at Gonzaga is unbelievable. Everybody respects Coach Few. He’s an amazing coach. The culture is a winning culture. Many years ago they were trying to get to the top and now they’re there and they’re staying there. It’s an amazing culture.”
The time Wade spent at Gonzaga was, in some ways, almost like serving another mission.
“I had some awesome experiences. I met some amazing people. I was friends with one person who got baptized (into the Church). She’s an amazing person and she’s especially close to my wife,” he explained. “One time in the locker room, the guys were kind of talking about life after this life. It led into a 30-minute conversation with me basically teaching them the plan of salvation.
“Moments like that happened all of the time in every class period because everyone knew I was a member. I loved it. I love getting questions about what I believe, especially in areas where not a lot of people share the same beliefs. It was a great experience. It was weird because they would ask me questions instead of knocking on doors and people not being interested. It was the exact opposite in France. I wish my whole mission was like that. But I love that place so much.”
When Wade decided to transfer, Gonzaga was “supportive because I was in a tough spot. I’d just got back from a mission and I got injured early and that set me back. I’ve got nothing but respect for them and I feel like they’ve got a lot of respect for me. When I felt like it was time to move on, they were really supportive and did what they could to help me because of the respect we share for each other.”
For Wade, transferring to BYU was a fairly seamless transition. It also meant he could be reunited with his sister, Olivia, who played as a freshman on the Cougar women’s soccer team. The two had a New Testament class together in the fall. Olivia left earlier this month for a mission to Houston.
“I love it here at BYU. I’m so happy here. Right now, this is where I belong,” Wade said. “I love Provo. I love the university and the whole religious aspect of it. I love to be able to speak religiously and to have people speak religiously in class. It’s a great experience.”
Wade admits it’s “pretty tough” not being able to play in games, like Thursday's against Gonzaga. “I wish I could get out there,” he said.
In the meantime, he’s trying to make the most of his opportunity as part of the scout team.
"It’s been a good experience. And it’s been great to be with the guys, to help them the best that I can," Wade said. "That’s my role, to give them the best look that other teams are going to give them. I feel like I’ve been able to grow my game in many ways.”