Fairfield's Jill Barta leaves Gonzaga a year early

Scott Mansch
Great Falls Tribune

 

Gonzaga star Jill Barta drives to the hoop during action in March of 2017 at the West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.

Many athletes only hope of playing basketball like Jill Barta.

But the Fairfield native and superstar Gonzaga hoop performer has different dreams. So she’s ending her college basketball career a year prematurely.

“It’s been my dream to teach ever since I was little,” she said. “I love Special Olympics. I love helping out and being around kids.”

On Thursday, Barta made a decision toward reaching that dream. Barta, who will graduate this spring, has decided not to use her final season of eligibility with the Zags. She redshirted at the Spokane school as a true freshman.

Sunday Conversation: Jill Barta doing well at Gonzaga

 

“I’m going to be done at Gonzaga and not take my fifth year,” she said shortly after signing a release from her scholarship. “I’m looking forward to coming back to Montana.”

Barta, a 6-foot-3 forward, this season was named the MVP of the West Coast Conference. She is a three-time all-conference selection who has scored more than 1,600 points in a brilliant college career. 

Barta might be the best high school girls’ basketball player ever to come from the Treasure State

This season Barta led Gonzaga to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.

She said professional basketball remains a possibility in the near future. But if not she’s looking forward to starting a new career as a special education teacher.

“My parents always said if I wanted to be a coach, the best thing is coaches who are teachers,” Barta said. “A lot of coaches don’t teach and they don’t really understand students and kids and the best ways to get to them. I think teaching has helped me with that a lot. In so many ways.”

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Barta averaged 18.8 points, 8.3 rebounds while shooting 49 percent from the floor and 88 percent from the foul line this season for the Zags. She finished her career with 1,620 points. In 98 games (of which 73 were starts), she averaged 16.5 points and 6.65 rebounds.

Former Fairfield star Jill Barta of Gonzaga was recently named the WCC player of the week for the second time this season.

“We’ll look at (professional options) but as far as right now I want to see what teaching options are open in Montana,” she said. “I want to come back and enjoy life.

“As soon as I told them I wasn’t coming back it was like the best feeling ever. So I knew it was right,” she said.

That’s not to suggest she didn’t enjoy the Gonzaga program or the excitement that goes with being an NCAA Division I basketball player.

“Yes, it’s stressful to be a D-1 athlete,” she said. “But that’s not the reason why I’m choosing to be done. I’ve just hit my point where I’m ready to be done and move on a little bit.”

Briefs: Jill Barta earns league MVP honors

 

Barta, 22, will graduate in six weeks with a degree in Special Education and Early Childhood Development. Teaching, not baskets, has always been what she’s ultimately shoot for.

“It’s a passion with me,” Barta said. “It’s awesome to work with kids and this is what I want to do. I want to pursue that.”

Kourtney Coverdell and her twin sister, Kaylynn, grew up in Fairfield with Barta and were part of the amazing 104-game winning streak. Now the Coverdells are on the basketball team at Montana Tech.

Kourtney has known of Barta’s decision for some time.

“She’s super-smart,” Kourtney said. “She’s got her passions and she’s going to follow them. She’s always had a drive to teach and I think it’s great she’s going to get out and do it. Even though she’ll be losing a year of basketball, I think she’ll get out and do it because that’s what she loves.”

Basketball fans have come to expect outstanding achievements from Barta, and Kourtney Coverdell said that should continue to be the case.

“She’ll continue to produce great things in her teaching,” Kourtney said. “She’s not done.”

The WNBA Draft is April 22 in New York City.

Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said she wishes Barta well.

“Jill has been a big part of our program and has made tremendous growth on and off the court in her four years here,” Fortier said in a statement. “While we wish she was putting on a Gonzaga uniform next season, we support Jill in her desire to follow her dreams. She will have her degree in hand, and we are thankful for her dedication to the program. She’s a great Zag.”

Barta’s connection with her home state remains strong.

“It’s awesome to have people still text me,” she said. “I’ve had people with Montana numbers text me and I have no idea who they were. After our games, stuff like, ‘Awesome. You did good. You make Montana proud.’

“It really hits the heart a little bit.”

She knows this decision may disappoint many of her basketball fans back home.

“I want to thank all my fans,” Barta said. “I had a great four years at Gonzaga. But when you’re ready to be done you’re ready to be done. I don’t take anything for granted. My four years there were awesome and the support was above and beyond. And Montana’s had my back since Day One.

“I just thank everyone.”

During her high school career, Jill Barta led Fairfield to four consecutive unbeaten seasons.

Barta’s high school career at Fairfield is the stuff of legends. She finished 104-0 with the Eagles and was the main reason coach Dustin Gordon’s program set a record for the longest win streak in Montana prep basketball history.

Barta and the Eagles won four straight Class B state championships during a career in which she averaged 24.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.