The flight was long. When you leave Pittsburgh on a Saturday morning, make a switch in Seattle before another in San Francisco, you know it is going to be long.

 

That could do some people in. Throw in another leg that involves a flight from San Francisco to New Zealand with a transfer in Kiwis country and it goes from long to excruciatingly long.

 

At least it would be for most.

 

Clarksburg’s Jarrod West was not arriving in New Zealand for vacation. He was arriving to realize his dream of competing in professional basketball.

 

That is exactly what he started this week after the recent flight and recent signing to compete in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is a member of the Nelson Giants.

 

Things got off good for West. He played a key role in the Giants winning their season-opening game 88-69.

 

“Playing professional basketball is something I’ve always dreamed of and wanted to do,” said West earlier this week. “To be this close to that goal and get this opportunity was just too hard to turn down. I can always get back into coaching, but you can only play once.”

 

Will get back to the coaching shortly. Before that, let’s take a look at West’s journey from Notre Dame, where he starred in high school, to New Zealand.

 

While with the Irish, he and his teammates – along with his father, coach, and former West Virginia University standout of the same name Jarrod West – won the Class A state championship in 2017. Along the way, he was voted as the best player in West Virginia by capturing the Bill Evans Award.

 

The play was noticed by more than the state media that votes on it. It was noticed by Marshall Coach Dan D’Antoni, who offered West a scholarship. The offer proved beneficial for all involved.

 

West played four seasons for the Herd, including starting as a freshman on Marshall’s 2018 team that upset No. 4 Wichita State before falling to WVU in the second round. It still remains the only NCAA tournament win in school history.

 

His time at Marshall saw him earn a par of Conference USA all-defensive team selections. Along the way, he became the Herd’s all-time steals leader.

 

West was not finished. He spent a graduate year with Louisville. Although it was a down year by the Cardinals standards, West made an impact and played nearly 30 minutes a game in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference.

 

As it turns out, the competition was not the only thing beneficial. Jarrod West’s dad – referred to as “dad” from this point – said the break to go to New Zealand came courtesy of his time in Kentucky.

 

“Ross McMains, the assistant, is from New Zealand. When the season ended, he said the New Zealand coach was looking for a point guard and he told the coach (Michael Fitchett) he had exactly what he needed,” said dad. “That helped him get his first professional gig, and we’ll see how it goes from here.”

 

Fitchett said as much about needing West.

 

“We were down the bottom of the league last year in most of the defensive metrics, so I have been looking to shore that up. Jarrod was an all-conference defensive player in his last 2 years at Marshall University, so I know he can get after it. He will set a tone for us at that end. Jarrod is also a pure point guard and someone that will look to set his teammates up before looking for his own shots. I’m looking forward to working with him this season," said Fitchett.

 

Ironically, dad was at this same point after his playing days. He was not sure whether to try and play ball overseas or begin his professional career. The father part in him wanted Jarrod to get into his professional career. The former player from WVU understood about seeing what was out there.

 

“If you don’t get it out of your system, you’ll always wonder. As a player, it’s hard to let the ball stop bouncing,” dad said. “At the same time, he’s been bred to be a head college coach one day and he knows that is where he’s eventually heading.”

 

Dad is not putting words in Jarrod’s mouth.

 

“Having a career in coaching is definitely something I want to pursue when my playing career is over,” said West.

 

When will that be? West has time, age, and no tie downs on his side.

 

Dad said it is roughly a 20-game season that ends in August, which is plenty of time to get into coaching. He said Jarrod signed a good contract, has a car, an apartment, is in an English-speaking country, and is five minutes from the beach. Not an unpleasant situation.

 

“So far what I like about it is that it’s very green here. The beaches are really nice, and the people are very kind,” said West.

 

If things go well, he could sign to play again. If things go really well, there is a higher level of ball in New Zealand as well as other options in other countries.

 

If things do not go well or Jarrod West does not find the situation to his liking, then he can fall back sooner on what he plans to fall back on as opposed to later. And that is coaching.

 

The good news is prior to going to New Zealand, an ACC opponent’s coaching staff had watched enough film to know West had what it took to coach, and he was offered a graduate assistant’s coaching position.

 

“Even with all the adversity Louisville dealt with this year, (the ACC coach) saw the engagement he had with his teammates and more importantly he noticed the teams they played couldn’t run their offense effectively when Jarrod was on the floor,” said dad. “That speaks volumes.”

 

That was not the only offer. There are others that range from Power 5 to mid-majors and lower.

 

“(My wife Amber and I) tell him to trust God and see where it leads his heart,” said dad on his son, who is in a time zone 16 hours ahead of ours. “It’s a good move because he’s excited about this, and I can tell you this is first time I’ve dropped him off, from Marshall to Louisville, I was 100 percent at peace. He’s prepared and mature.”

 

Being at peace does not mean the family is not already missing their first child and big brother. Far from it. Despite being sure about his decision, leaving his family is never easy – particularly when there is an ocean and the entire United States in between.

 

“It was very difficult to leave to be honest. Missing an entire family is something that was hard for me to commit to,” said West. “Not to mention I’ve been away before, not across the world. The good thing is my family actually was happy and encouraged me for this opportunity, so they support me 100 percent.”

 

Anyone that knows dad, Amber and younger brother Jaidyn are not surprised. You may find a family just as good as the West family, but you will not find one better. And the family is a tight one.

 

“I told Amber Jarrod is prepared and most important is God has blessed us because faith is at the top of Jarrod’s list,” said dad.

 

That does not mean it is easy to have their son away. Anyone who knows Jarrod and Amber know they wear their heart on their sleeves.

 

“We’ve been crying, and it’s really been a rough time for mom. It’s tough for Jarrod because he’s a family person,” said dad. “We understand he has to find himself and his opportunity, and this is the opportunity in the real world. Being in the real world many times means you’re not at home.”

 

In Jarrod West’s case, the real world is thousands of miles away. It’s actually more than 8,600 miles away.

 

That is where the basketball court is for Jarrod West. That is where opportunity is right now.

 

No matter what transpires, I am certain – as are those who know Jarrod – he will make the most of the opportunity.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo and photo of Jarrod West signing an autograph following his first game in New Zealand from the Mike Pero Nelson Giants Facebook page. Second and third photos of West - at Louisville and Marshall - are from the respective school's basketball Facebook pages as well as the senior day at Louisville photo with family and key individuals in Jarrod's life. Bottom photo shows him hugging his brother Jaidyn prior to leaving Pittsburgh International Airport for New Zealand.