Jalen Suggs' march to history with Gonzaga is set to begin Saturday

Larry Suggs is reliving his AAU days, when he crisscrossed the country to attend tournaments with his son, Jalen.

"I'll be in Indy in about three hours," he wrote in a message Thursday. "I'll call you then."

Suggs later confirmed from his hotel room that it's about an 8-hour drive from the Twin Cities to Indianapolis, site of the NCAA men's tournament bubble. He, his wife, Molly Manley, and brother, Tramon, will be in the stands on Saturday when Gonzaga plays Norfolk State in the first round. Papa Suggs will hop back into his car following the game and drive home, where his daughter, Jennica, is a guard for Minnehaha Academy. State tournament time. He's also an assistant on the boys' team — led by the Redhawks' latest top recruit, Chet Holmgren — that is attempting to win a fourth consecutive title.

He will shuttle between home and Indy as much as he can.

"Yeah, we'll be going back and forth," Larry Suggs said. "Hopefully if it works out that I can just jump in the car and just drive back, watch a section game, jump back in and drive down."

Suggs talked about Jalen shooting jumpers on a Little Tykes hoop at age 2, working on his dribble at 3 and really taking to the sport around 6. The talent became undeniable, as Jalen would play as many as four levels above his age group at tournaments across the country. Current NBA players Tre Jones and Lonnie Walker, both with the Spurs, were AAU opponents of Suggs.

Jalen built and buttressed his skills through these tournaments, becoming a prized national recruit. He joined Minnehaha's varsity team when he was in seventh grade and left the school with three state titles in his pocket to head for Gonzaga. He became the Bulldogs' highest-rated recruit and provided instant everything.

He debuted with 24 points in 24 minutes with eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in a 102-90 victory over Kansas.

This season, Suggs averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 51.2% from floor. That's over 50% from the floor as a guard, you all.

His offense is complementary until he's really needed. The Bulldogs fell behind by 14 points to BYU in the West Coast Conference championships on Mar. 9 before they surged in the second half, with Suggs nailing two late three pointers to put the game away. He's a moving defensive clinic, as his 47 steals lead the team. His offensive aptitude is razor sharp, as he knows where and when teammates like Corey Kispert want the ball, helping the forward shoot a career-high 44% from the three-point line.

"For him to go play at Gonzaga has been pretty seamless," Larry said. "Just because he has played so many grades up."

So it's not accurate that Minnesota fans don't have a reason to follow the tournament just because the Gophers failed to qualify. There are several players from the state in the tournament, with Suggs looking to join a special group of in-state hoopers.

Over the past two-plus decades, Minneapolis North's Khalid El-Amin (Connecticut, 1999), Bloomington Jefferson's Cole Aldrich (Kansas, 2008) and Apple Valley's Tyus Jones (Duke, 2015) have played key roles on championship teams. Jones' path could very well be the one Suggs ends up following. Jones was a highly rated recruit who was an impact freshman on a title winning team before moving on after one season to the NBA. Jones even led the Blue Devils in scoring in the championship game vs. Wisconsin. Suggs, projected as a lottery pick, looks like a one-and-done candidate too.

Jalen Suggs and the 26-0 Bulldogs begin their journey on Saturday.

Larry Suggs' journey across America's interstates is just starting.

"It's something you have to do at this time," he said. "It's just a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Not everyone gets to go to the NCAA tournament. Not everyone gets to go to the state tournament, either. You have to do what you have to do.

"If you love sports, and you know our family loves sports, we are always traveling."