The Canadian pipeline through Gonzaga has been strong in recent years, and its productivity can perhaps best be highlighted by the success of the Nembhard family.
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few acknowledged that on Saturday after Ryan Nembhard finished with a career-high 12 assists in their 89-68 win over the Kansas Jayhawks in the second round of March Madness.
"First of all, I mean I love that family," Few told CBS Sports' Dana Jacobson. "That family has been a part of this whole run, if you think of Andrew, Ryan, that whole family."
Both Nembhard brothers played for Few and the Bulldogs after transferring to the West Coast Conference program.
Few and Nembhard exchanged a long hug after the game as Gonzaga qualified for their nation-best ninth-straight Sweet 16 appearance. Along with his 12 assists, Nembhard also scored five points and grabbed five rebounds.
"Ryan's been at the highest level for the last eight weeks, feels like," Few said after the win. "Just got our throttle all the way down and making great decisions. Just managing these games masterfully."
Ryan, who broke the team's single-season assist record (235) on Saturday, joined Gonzaga through the Transfer Portal this summer after spending two years with the Creighton Blue Jays.
He has averaged a career-high 12.8 points and 6.8 assists while notching 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game this season.
"I would say it's one big family. My brother came here. He loved his time here. Shoot, I'm loving my time here too, man," Nembhard said after the win. "It's the best school in the country for me, personally. And I'm just enjoying my time here, man. I love representing the Zags."
Meanwhile, Andrew, who now plays for the Indiana Pacers, spent two years in Spokane after spending his first two college seasons with the Florida Gators. He helped bring them to the National Final in his first year with the program, eventually losing to the Baylor Bears.
"Ryan is, you know, he's part of our family," Few said in his media availability following the win. "He was coming to watch his brother play way back when. At that time he got really tight with some of our players and even tight with my own kids, my eldest too.
"Obviously, Andrew's got a big piece of my heart, what I feel about him and what he was able to do at our place and the type of person and player that he is."
Other Canadians such as Scarborough's Kelly Olynyk, Vancouver's Brandon Clarke and Newmarket's Kevin Pangos played for Few's Gonzaga team, helping contribute to the program's greatest-ever run of success and cementing them as one of college basketball's new 'Blue Bloods.'
Nembhard and Gonzaga are set to take on the winner of (1) Purdue and (8) Utah State in the Sweet 16, potentially lining up a matchup against star Canadian big man Zach Edey.
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