OKC Thunder rookie Brooks Barnhizer and Summer League assistant coach Ryan Greer were teammates at Northwestern.
LAS VEGAS — Two words rolled off the tongue for Brooks Barnhizer when he talked about one of his Thunder Summer League assistant coaches, Ryan Greer.
"Coach Greer," Barnhizer called him with confidence.
Others in Barnhizer's shoes would've tripped over those words. The urge to be informal when referencing a friend would've been too strong, considering they played together at Northwestern for one season in 2021-22.
But Greer showed the leadership qualities of a coach even back then. That's what makes the official title sound natural for Barnhizer now that the former teammates have reunited as a player-coach duo.
"It's been really cool," Barnhizer said. "(Greer) was really big in my development at Northwestern and reassuring of the kind of player I can be. ... I'm really grateful to have him here."
Northwestern head coach Chris Collins still remembers when he first crossed paths with Barnhizer on the recruiting trail.
Northwestern had a road game against Purdue on Dec. 8, 2019. The Boilermakers are located in West Lafayette, Indiana, which is a 10-minute drive across the Wabash River from where Barnhizer played high school ball.
So Collins and one of his assistants made the short trip to watch Barnhizer, a junior at Jefferson High at the time, the day before their game.
Barnhizer stuffed the stat sheet with 27 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in a 99-55 win over McCutcheon. But none of those numbers stood out to Collins as much as Barnhizer's passion for the game.
"I'm big on that," Collins told The Oklahoman. "He just had an energy to him, a bop in his step, a competitiveness and a spirit on the court. You saw it right away, five minutes from watching him play."
Northwestern was the first and only Big Ten program that offered Barnhizer a scholarship, which he accepted. Unfortunately, he couldn't hit the ground running once he joined the Wildcats on account of a broken foot he was still recovering from.
That was a frustrating time for Barnhizer, who struggled to crack the rotation as a freshman even when he became healthy. But it was also around the same time he grew close to Greer, who was a senior.
Greer only made two career starts in four seasons at Northwestern, and yet he was viewed as a team captain. He knew every play like there was going to be a final exam on them. He knew how to use those book smarts against opponents with must-see-TV talent.
And Greer knew when one of his teammates needed a lift, which is why he became a mentor for Barnhizer.
"He really taught me the ins and outs, just the little things of college basketball," Barnhizer said. "Like, where to be and how to be most effective with what you're able to work with. He and I aren't the most athletic guys in the bunch, but we can make positive impacts on the defensive end as well as knowing everything on the offensive end and just being smart with the ball.
"And also, he was just like a team dad. It's funny to say that, but that's honestly what he was like. He was always just looking out for everybody. ... He's so mature. If you were to have a conversation with him, you would think he was 45. But he's like 20-something (24)."
Greer showed early coaching characteristics, which didn't surprise Collins.
Even when Greer was being recruited out of high school, the three-star prospect from Atlanta told Collins he hoped to one day get into coaching. That's why he opted not to use his final year of eligibility in 2022-23 and instead joined Notre Dame's staff as a development and recruiting coordinator.
Greer then joined OKC the following season as a video analyst and is now an assistant coach for the team's Summer League run in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
"I'm really proud of Ryan," Collins said. "I think the thing before he jumped into coaching that I always told him was just to go in, work hard and be available to whatever that team needs of you. ... Just show that you're willing to do whatever it takes to help the team be successful."
Collins must've given the same advice to Barnhizer.
The 6-foot-6 forward became a do-it-all player for Northwestern by the end of his four-year college career. He got to his spots on offense. He flew around every spot of the floor on defense. And he spotted every teammate that needed help along the way, just like Greer once did for him.
"I'm just trying to positively impact everywhere I go," Barnhizer said. "Whether it be places, people or a team. ... I really take pride in that. I'm just trying to be somebody of high character because I believe that your character has to match your calling. If I believe my calling is really high, so is my character."
Barnhizer averaged career highs of 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists through his first 17 games as a senior. But his final campaign was cut short when he re-aggravated a broken foot that he'd suffered the previous summer.
Fortunately, Barnhizer was cleared for full basketball activities on May 15. He then held his first pre-draft workout exactly one week later in preparation for the 2025 NBA Draft.
It was with OKC, and Greer helped run it. The workout went well for Barnhizer, who received some positive feedback from a familiar face.
"It was really cool to have a full-circle moment in my pre-draft workout," Barnhizer said. "(Greer) was like, 'Hey, you killed the workout. I feel like this is a great place for you. Let's stay in touch throughout the process.'"
That process consisted of ultimately working out for 16 teams. But as Barnhizer's lengthy pre-draft journey unfolded, he couldn't help but look back at where it started.
"Something about this place stood out to me," Barnhizer said of OKC. "I kind of finished this process always in the back of my mind like if that could work out, that would be cool."
That's exactly what happened.
OKC selected Barnhizer in the second round (No. 44 overall) of the draft, and it has since signed him to a two-way contract.
Barnhizer will have to prove himself if he wants to eventually carve out a role on the NBA champion Thunder, and he's already beginning to do that in Summer League. He's averaging 9.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 1.8 assists through five games.
Barnhizer still needs to knock down his 3-pointers with more consistency. He's only shooting 28.6% in that department. But the 23-year-old forward is learning along the way, and he has a trusted teacher in Greer.
It's an ideal situation for Barnhizer, who repeatedly described it with another two words that rolled off the tongue.
"I'm blessed," Barnhizer said.
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Thunder rookie Brooks Barnhizer 'grateful' to play for ex-teammate
Category: Basketball
