SPOKANE, Wash – Gonzaga men’s basketball coach Mark Few remembers former Zag Brandon Clarke as having a “kind, gentle, and warm soul”, as news of Clarke’s death spread on Tuesday.
Clarke died in California Monday afternoon at the age of 29. No cause of death has been officially released.
Clarke played for Gonzaga in 2018-2019 and was a first-round pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He’s played for the Memphis Grizzlies ever since.
“BC was one of the most easygoing players we’ve ever had,” Few said in a statement posted to social media. “And he was part of one of the greatest teams in our program’s history.”
That team lost in the elite eight to Texas Tech.
“Brandon was a spectacular player and competitor, and a phenomenal teammate to all,” Few said. “He was a true legend who will never be forgotten here at Gonzaga.”
The social post was signed Mark Few and Gonzaga Family.
Clarke played just two games for the Grizzlies this year, battling an ongoing injury.
Just a month before his death, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas for speeding, eluding police and drug trafficking.
Reports say there was drug paraphernalia at the home and his death is being investigated as a possible overdose.
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