Hickman didn’t ask Barsh to drive the five hours or so — but he also didn’t want to deny his campers the chance to hear from another notable local basketball personality. Barsh, a native of Tacoma, Washington, has been to nearly every gym in King County and Pierce County over the past four decades. After serving as an assistant at the University of Puget Sound, he helped lead Tacoma Community College to three Western Region titles and an NWAACC championship in four seasons.

Instead of talking about his own successes, however, Barsh took the opportunity to highlight a side of Hickman that doesn’t always come through on the court.

“At this point, you have a player in front of you who, in my opinion, has had 86 wins, Sweet 16 appearances, Elite Eight appearances, McDonald’s All-American and Jordan All American,” Barsh told the campers. “And he’s sitting here – that’s the most important thing for him today. I wanted my son to see that, to see the humility of someone saying, ‘Oh, look at Nolan.’ I wanted him to see that part too.”

Clearly, the connection between Barsh and Hickman runs much deeper than their assistant coach-player relationship and ties to the Pacific Northwest suggest. In a way, Barsh is an extension of Hickman’s family, as he preaches the importance of being present and in the moment, much like Hickman’s parents would do at home. When he was younger, Hickman and his mother would say a prayer before his games, a pregame routine he now shares with his coach.

“It’s heartwarming,” Hickman said. “This is our workplace where we have to get things done and all that, and so I feel like just praying, and a guy like Coach Barsh, who’s a strong believer, he just can’t get enough prayers . You can never have too many angels on your back while you’re playing the game and doing anything, not even basketball, you can never ask for too many.”

As Hickman prepares for his fourth and perhaps final collegiate game in his hometown on Saturday, when No. 7 Gonzaga takes on No. 4 Kentucky at Climate Pledge Arena, the 6-foot-2 guard expects to have a lot will feel emotions – and an angel is looking over his shoulder.

“It’s going to mean a lot to me,” Hickman said of his return to Seattle. “My grandmother is no longer with us, so there will be a lot of emotions in the arena. She had a ticket, it was already booked before she died, so it will be difficult for me. But my teammates and I plan on going out there and playing as hard as we can and getting the win in the end.

I just have this in my head that my angels are watching me, my grandma is watching me. She would be here if things didn’t happen the way they did, but that’s just God, and God makes everything happen for a reason, so I kept that in the back of my mind the whole game.”

Hickman has delegated the task of processing ticket requests from family members and friends to his parents. So far the number is estimated at over a dozen, with more expected to be added by Saturday. Hickman admitted there is some extra motivation to not let this game in his “backyard” slip away from the Wildcats, especially considering his previous three trips home in a Bulldogs jersey all ended in defeat.

Gonzaga lost to Alabama (91-82) at Climate Pledge Arena in 2021 and lost to Washington (78-73) and UConn (76-63) in consecutive weekend trips to the Emerald City last season.

“It’s my senior year, so I want to finish every year with a bang,” Hickman said. “But especially this one at home, in the hometown, in the backyard – definitely. I don’t want to give that away.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Continue to follow our Gonzaga coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Instagram and Twitter.