There is someone in Spokane who doesn’t believe in him, and Emmanuel Innocenti is ready to change their mind. In his second year at a college basketball powerhouse like Gonzaga, the Italian kid born in 2004 wants to become one of coach Mark Few’s mainstays. From Ivory Coast to the valleys of Bergamo, then finding home and championships at Stella Azzurra in Rome, Innocenti decided at 18 to cross the ocean. Here is the story of his two years spent in the United States, moving from the border with Mexico to the one with Canada, first at a small college in Texas and then at an NCAA powerhouse in the state of Washington.
When did you decide to go to America?
During the four years I spent in Rome, I had never thought about it. It all happened after my last year in the youth teams; I talked with coaches and my agent who were following me, and they suggested the college route even though it was late—June or July—and most teams were already set. I decided to go to Tarleton State because it was one of the few options I had, and I wanted to go to America anyway, so I accepted.
Tarleton State—did you ask yourself, “What is it? Where is it?”
Exactly, I remember that at that time I had Jacksonville State and Tarleton State as options, and I didn’t know either of them. I got some advice from coaches to learn about the program, teams, and coaches, then I chose Tarleton State because it seemed more interesting.
In Texas, you found Billy Gillispie, one of the most controversial Division I coaches, often criticized for his eccentric and tough style. Has time softened his character, or is he still one of the toughest coaches around?
Honestly, he’s the toughest coach I’ve ever had. He’s a good person and has always been fair to everyone, but he has a tough approach and puts a lot of pressure on you—in a positive way. He doesn’t do it to make you uncomfortable; rather, he wants to see how you react. It means a lot to him—if you can handle it, you earn his trust. And I think it went well with me.
So he’s a very demanding coach who provokes you a bit?
He provokes a lot. For example, during a practice, even if you hadn’t done anything wrong, he would put you with the B team just to push you. For me, coming from Stella where there’s a lot of competitiveness and having had a coach like Germano (D’Arcangeli, long-time heart of Stella) who puts a lot of pressure on you, it wasn’t too difficult. Plus, I’m very competitive: the more you provoke me, the harder I go at it.
What was the first difference you noticed between Italian and American basketball?
The speed of the game. Here, they play much faster than what I was used to, both in the senior games I played and at the youth level. In Europe, I think the focus is more on understanding the game and positioning yourself correctly; here it’s much more physical and very fast, and you have to make decisions quickly. There isn’t as much basketball IQ; it’s much more instinctive.
Did living many years at Stella, one of the Italian clubs with an organization more similar to colleges, help you a bit?
Yes, I’ve always said that Stella was crucial for my sports journey. You live basketball 360 degrees there, and it helped me a lot with the transition I made from Italy to America. I didn’t suffer the change as much as others coming from different youth systems might.
You had a good freshman season; when did you decide to transfer?
Even when I arrived at Tarleton State, my intention wasn’t really to stay there. I wanted to use it as a springboard—I’d go there, gain experience, and prove I could compete at this level. After the season ended, Gonzaga contacted me, I made some calls, and they showed me the facilities. What convinced me the most was how they manage player development and the coaching staff, with Mark Few being one of the most important NCAA coaches.
Did you have other options?
I visited Saint Mary’s and had contacts with Kansas because Bill Self was a good friend of Gillispie, and then some mid-majors like New Mexico, New Mexico State, and GCU. But at Kansas, I would have had to go there, sit on the bench, and watch everyone else play, while I was looking for an environment where I could grow and stay for the next few years I have left in college.
Money is the big new protagonist in this world; how much weight did it have, and how difficult is it to manage this aspect?
It’s not the most important thing when choosing a team, but it matters. If I have two good teams offering the same playing time, I choose the one that gives me more money, but for me, it’s never been a matter of life or death—either you pay me more, or I don’t stay. Also, managing this is more complicated for us internationals; Americans can make millions, while we, if we’re lucky, make $500,000 (this explains why). I think this difference greatly influences team choice, but it’s improving now; we’re closer to parity between internationals and Americans. For now, though, I can get money only through the team, not individually, so it’s hard to reach the amounts Americans get. So, for internationals, this aspect doesn’t get to your head much; you don’t see those sums others get.
Speaking of internationals, Gonzaga has a long history of recruiting non-American players, from Ronny Turiaf to Rui Hachimura, and usually they take it slow, starting with limited playing time. Your growth, however, was fast already during your first season. How did you manage that?
Even before arriving there, I knew I would have to earn some minutes. There were many NBA prospects, players who had been there for years, and the only way I could earn playing time was to show the coach during practices that I wasn’t there to sit out a year and wait for my moment. Whenever I saw an opportunity, I took it; in practice, I worked hard, always guarded the best player, and every time he asked me to do something, I did it to gain his trust. Gradually, he gave me more minutes.
But when you arrived, did they present you with a growth plan spread over several years?
Exactly, that was also what convinced me to go there. I didn’t want to go somewhere where I would stay or leave depending on whether I played well or poorly; I wanted to join a program determined to invest in me and help me grow over the years. I didn’t expect to arrive somewhere and immediately become a star. Gonzaga told me, “We’re taking you; maybe the first year will go however it goes, but we have a three-year plan for you,” and that was what interested me most. Then, knowing Gonzaga’s history, of players—including internationals—who started playing maybe just two minutes at first and then made it to the NBA, I thought that was the path I wanted to take.
What was your first impression of one of the most important Jesuit universities in the United States?
An important factor in choosing to come here was that it’s not a very large school, and Spokane is a small city that allows you to focus more on basketball. They are very religious, but there aren’t any rules particularly different from other colleges.
And how was your meeting with Mark Few, who has been the Bulldogs’ coach for over 25 years and is one of the most important names in the NCAA?
From day one, Mark Few gives you a sense of a family environment. He’s like a father, checking on how you’re doing, wanting to know your story, where you come from. He’s very open and direct; if he needs to tell you something, he comes and tells you honestly. What impresses the most is that, despite his status in American basketball, he’s always willing to talk with his players, puts them in the best situation, and wants to know each of our stories, especially to convey a sense of unity, sometimes doing activities together. For example, last year we all went to his summer house for a week to build team spirit.
At the beginning of the year, he said important things about you, which is quite unusual for Few, especially for newly arrived players.
I believe the main reason is my work ethic. From the first day I arrived here, I spent a lot of time in the gym, and I came during the summer when many others weren’t here, many were thinking about vacations, but I arrived hungry, knowing I had to earn my place. So during practices, I always worked at 100%.
How was the season, both yours and the team’s?
The first few months were very difficult due to the adjustment period from Tarleton State to Gonzaga. Here, the game is much faster, there are many more reads, and overall it’s a very different system compared to many other teams. Defensively, I always felt comfortable; it’s the part I do best, also because the defensive style is very similar to Stella’s. As for the team, they could have done better. We had many ups and downs, and mostly we had many players with great potential, but many needed the ball in their hands. Especially in moments when winning mattered, no one cared about winning anymore; it was more about “I have to score, not him.” It became a bit of that kind of situation. Around mid-season, we had defensive problems; no one cared about defense anymore, and it became a “let’s score 90 points and even if we give up 88, we win” mentality. But when you face solid teams like UConn, it’s hard to play with that mindset. From then on, my role was to bring energy to the team, bring defensive mentality, and I think that’s why my minutes on the court increased.
How much pressure is felt at Gonzaga, is it more outside on campus or within the team?
The pressure is outside; inside the team, we’ve always been like, “Okay, we played a terrible game, but tomorrow is another day and we have to do better, period.” We didn’t really care much about what was happening outside, and the coaches kept telling us, “Leave what’s outside outside.” Obviously, Gonzaga isn’t a mid-major, so there’s much more pressure compared to other teams in America.
And speaking of pressure, how heavy is it to be a college basketball big that has never won a title?
Especially last year, with the team we had, many students were saying, “This year we have to make the final and win; we have the team for it, we have this and that.” The pressure to win at all costs was already felt from the summer.
How was your first March Madness?
It was a great experience, and I felt a lot of pressure. During the practice we had to prepare for the first game—even though it was behind closed doors—my legs were shaking; I was already thinking about the next day’s game. It was a unique experience, with the arena always full and a very intense atmosphere.
You lost to Houston, who then reached the final. Any regrets about that game?
We knew they were one of the best defensive teams; we needed to do a bit more offensively. They were very solid, but we believed we could beat them. They played an almost perfect game except for the last few minutes when they relaxed a bit. We were good at not giving up when we fell behind by 10, but we woke up too late, and with teams at this level, you can’t afford that.
You faced the best defense in the nation, what was it like?
It was suffocating; the more you feel free, the more tightly you’re actually guarded. You feel free, and then suddenly someone is right in front of you out of nowhere. There was great organization—they are a team that communicates a lot, and that’s something I haven’t often seen. Especially their coach gives instructions that they execute perfectly; they are very physical. They’re not a team that applies full-court pressure, but they stay an arm’s length away—you feel them on you all the time. And then they destroyed us on the boards, absolutely destroyed us.
What will the team be like next season?
We’ll see if Grant Foster is eligible or not, but overall last year the team was individually stronger, while now we’re more of a group and have more leaders. Last year we had important players like Ryan Nembhard or Khalif Battle, but in crucial moments they didn’t show their leadership. I see this team doing well; we play for each other. As for me, I know I will have an important role and will have to take a step forward compared to last year, especially offensively. That’s why, while others were on vacation, I was here training. I’m aware of this, I want to reach this goal and prove to everyone who didn’t believe in me that I can compete at this level and be an important player offensively too.
Who didn’t believe in you?
Journalists—many wrote that I’m a good player, but offensively I’m in the right place but not one of Gonzaga’s options. I took it personally and I’m working on it: three days after the season ended, I was already in the gym.
What do you need to do to become a more complete player?
I need to improve my shooting percentages; I have to shoot at least 40% from three-point range. Since we have two point guards and one is new, I also need to handle the ball more, be comfortable bringing the ball up the court, and especially play the pick and roll making the right reads.
Where will you go after Gonzaga?
Like all players at this level, I dream of the NBA. I know the road is very long, I have many things to work on, but I still have two, maybe three years of college, and my goal is to stay at Gonzaga and finish my journey here. The dream is the NBA, but I wouldn’t refuse Europe either because when I was younger, my dream was to play in the EuroLeague, not the NBA, but gradually that changed.
