On Saturday, when DePaul hosts Xavier at the Allstate Arena, it will not only be the regular-season finale for the Blue Demons, but it will also mark the end of a four-year joy ride for the Garrett Family - Billy Jr., the face of the DePaul program the last four seasons, and his dad, Billy, the Blue Demons’ assistant coach.
Yes, DePaul has struggled during the entirety of Billy Garrett Jr.’s four seasons with the Demons and wins have been hard to come by. But it has also proven to be a wonderful experience the two will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
“It’s been a lot of fun. It’s something a lot of people don’t get to do,” Billy Jr. said. “I feel like it’s something I won’t really understand or cherish until I’m not here anymore. But it’s been a blast to have my dad there every step of the way. To go through all the ups and downs and have him right there, it’s been a unique experience and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Back in the fall of 2013, when he was a freshman, Garrett Jr. wasn’t sure how this father-son thing was going to work out and he admits there was a little bit of angst at the time, like how would his teammates react to his being the coach’s son?
“It was an unknown and I didn’t really know what to expect. That was probably the weirdest part for me, being a freshman playing college basketball. And then you have the added dynamic of playing for your dad,” Garrett Jr. said. “It was kind of weird and took some getting used to. But I think my teammates did a good job of not judging me based on my dad being a coach. Honestly it gave me more incentive to come in and perform well.”
And perform well he has. Going into Saturday’s game with Xavier, Garrett Jr. sits in eighth place on DePaul’s all-time scoring list with 1,599 points, is seventh in assists with 426 (just 13 behind Rashon Burno for sixth place), and is the school’s career leader in free throws made with 561. Among active BIG EAST players, Garrett Jr. is the point leader in league play with 897 points. Despite all the losses, Garrett Jr. has managed to thrive.
“It’s something I’m proud of. DePaul has an extremely rich history of good basketball players so to be in the top 10 in multiple categories is something I’m extremely proud of,” Garrett Jr. said. “It’s a product of hard work and everyone who helped me along the way. It’s something I’m proud of and you should be when you’ve had players like Mark Aguirre, Stephen Howard and all the great players who have come through here. It’s an honor to be mentioned in the same breath as those guys as far as records.”
And all the while he was carving out his niche in the DePaul record books, father Billy was always there on the bench, equal parts proud coach and father.
“I’ve really enjoyed it, especially being away from home a lot when he was younger,” said Garrett Sr., who coached at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Seton Hall, Iowa and Siena before arriving at DePaul seven seasons ago. “I didn’t really get to see him every day and see a lot of his ‘Ah-ha’ moments as a basketball player. Now I get to see him every day. How many people wouldn’t like to go to work and see their child doing something that they love every day? It’s been real nice. Probably nicer for me than it has been for him.”
When asked if either had a special moment of their four years together, it was not surprising father and son each picked the same memory.
“When we beat Georgetown in my freshman year in the BIG EAST Tournament and I remember talking with him after that game,” Garrett Jr. said. “That is my most vivid memory from the last four years. I think later I’ll look back on my career and think, ‘Wow, I remember when this happened and that happened.’ But if I had to pick one it would be that win over Georgetown in that BIG EAST Tournament game.”
“That’s so funny,” Garrett said laughing. “That’s exactly what I was going to say. When we beat Georgetown in that game, he was walking off the floor and just pumping his fist. He was so happy. Probably because it was his first real big win. It was in New York and Madison Square Garden and it was his first time playing there. We were playing Georgetown and they have a storied tradition. When that game was over he was just so happy.”
Garrett Sr. may remember that day vividly, but he did admit to not knowing some major milestones in his son’s career.
“The day he broke the free throw record, I didn’t even know he was close to doing it,” Garrett St. said with a laugh. “And I didn’t even realize he scored his 1,000th point last year some time. I’m so wrapped up in trying to win the next game and coaching, I don’t realize that other stuff.”
Both father and son admit that Saturday may be a tough day in that it will be the last time the two will be together on the Demons’ home court.
“It’s definitely going to be a little bittersweet,” Garrett Jr. said. “To be playing at the Allstate for the last time, playing at home with these guys for the last time, it will be sad. But it will also be exciting to move on to something new in life. I’m excited for what’s ahead.
“It will probably be emotional on Senior Day and him playing his last game,” Garrett St. said. “I cherish every game with him and I hope we can play as many more as we can. But he’s still going to be my son and I’m still going to be able to see him when basketball is over. I just won’t see him as much.”
Garrett Jr. has only two guaranteed games remaining in his career – Saturday vs. Xavier and the Demons’ BIG EAST Tournament contest next Wednesday night against, ironically, Xavier again. But whenever his season comes to an end, it will end a long affiliation with the DePaul program.
“It’s something that I try not to think too much about,” Garrett Jr. said. “It’s crazy to think about it because I’ve pretty much been around the program since my freshman year in high school. (Garrett Sr. joined the DePaul staff in 2009). So life beyond DePaul, it’s kind of weird to think about. I’ve been here so long but I’m excited for a new start and I’m excited to see what comes next. It’s just something that you got to go through, it’s a part of growth and you got to move on. I’ll do that, but it won’t be easy.”
Despite all he has accomplished at DePaul, all the statistical categories he has etched his name in, Garrett Sr. is far prouder for something else his son has done.
“He’s a good basketball player but the thing I’m most proud of is that like my father (Bill, the first African-American to play basketball in the Big Ten) he’s a bit of a trailblazer,” Garrett Sr. said. “He’s playing with Sickle Cell and if he inspires one other kid with Sickle Cell or some other chronic disease to do things people say they can’t do, that would be great. When Billy was born the doctor told me he would never be an athlete. No one with Sickle Cell had ever played basketball at such a high level. But Billy’s missed one game, maybe two, because of Sickle Cell in his four-year career. It’s a disease they said he’d never be able to play with. So I’m proud of that every day.”
Garrett Jr. said he’d like to extend his basketball career as long as he can, playing as a professional. He even thinks he will one day follow in his dad’s coaching footsteps. But that’s down the road a bit and right now he’s more focused on being together with his father for as long as possible because he knows the day is coming soon when they will go their separate ways.
So what will harder for Garrett Jr.? Taking off the DePaul jersey for the final time or having his dad as his coach for the last time?
“Man, they are both going to be pretty hard to do because I’ll probably never get the chance to play for my dad again and I’ll never put on that DePaul jersey again,” Garrett Jr. said. “Those are two things that will surely be tough for me to do. So I put them on an equal playing field. I can’t say one is tougher than the other because they will both be extremely hard to do.”