Jack Beach aka the walk on you never hear of

It is a rough life as a walk-on, to a certain extent. You can achieve fanbase fame through goofy antics, wild hair, or an overall extroverted presence. But what if you don’t really land in any of those categories? Who are you at that point other than a nameless entry sitting in the team chairs? In some ways, on Gonzaga, you are Jack Beach.

Beach is a sophomore guard from San Diego, where he averaged 12.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game as a senior—more than enough to land on Gonzaga as a walk on. Perhaps most intriguing about Beach’s game, however, is his three-point shooting prowess. He made 60 threes in 35 games as a senior, and 130 in 87 games in high school.

To put that number into perspective, Beach’s career 1.49 threes made per game in high school would’ve qualified as the second-best mark on the team last season, only behind Kyle Wiltjer.

That doesn’t necessarily mean we have a hidden sharpshooter on the bench, but what it does mean, is that when Beach enters the game, he is going to pull up from long range. He won’t be driving to the hole going for a Connor Griffin #thunderdunk, he will be waiting to rain hellfire and brimstone from afar.

And he will do so in a way that few will appreciate this season, because he is the lowest in the pecking order of the walk-ons. Rem Bakamus is a senior and Dustin Triano is a junior. Bakamus is a fan-favorite for his antics, and Triano is well-known because of his locks to absolutely die for as a showing-signs-of-balding, approaching middled-aged-if-you-plan-on-dying-at-the-age-of-70 man. Beach is just a sophomore.

Because of that, we won’t see Beach too often. It is not his time quite yet to shine, but do not be surprised if he drains a three or two as the season progresses. The man has the shot, he is just waiting for his turn.