NAMPA, Idaho – Jayden Bezzant had an offer on the table he didn’t think he could pass up.

A chance to fulfill his life-long dream to play professional basketball.

So, despite having just one year left at Northwest Nazarene, he decided to call it quits and head home to New Zealand.

“Last year we didn’t finish the way we wanted to at the end of the season, a lot of my good friends were leaving and I had been blessed with an opportunity,” Bezzant said. “I had a deal on the table where I could play professional basketball. From there, I was kind of debating and I leaned toward following the professional route.

“I like Idaho. It’s cool, but nothing like home. Playing basketball and earning money and not having to go to class and living in Australia was my thought process.”

Bezzant made the decision so late, though, Nighthawks coach Paul Rush wasn’t able to recruit with Bezzant’s scholarship money. So, Rush along with academic advisor Dr. Konya Weber and teammate Adalberto Diaz all stayed in touch with Bezzant throughout the summer.

“I was just really encouraging him to finish his degree,” Rush said. “We even had the conversation about if he didn’t want to play basketball at the collegiate level anymore, but at the professional level, that’s fine, but let’s figure out how to finish your degree online."

Eventually, Bezzant contacted NNU and said he’d be interested in coming back. Rush and Weber frantically went to work trying to figure out how to make it happen. It wasn’t as simple as just re-enrolling Bezzant in school. He also was ineligible to play first semester because of poor grades last spring.

“He had to get approval,” said Weber, who is a Professor of Marketing and the College of Business’ Associate Dean. “He was coming back late and his schedule was erased because he had said he wasn’t coming back. It was a challenging plan.”

Bezzant discussed his options with his family, friends, Nighthawks teammates and the professional coach who had offered him a contract in the first place.

“He said he knows me and what kind of player I am,” Bezzant said of the professional coach, who said the offer will still be on the table next year. “Whether I’m there or not next season it doesn’t matter. He also advised me to come back to school, get a degree and have something to fall back on. So, I slept on it, gave it a day or two and with pretty much everyone in my corner saying I should go back, I figured it was a good idea.”

To become eligible for basketball, Bezzant had to take 21 credits in the fall.

Academics hadn’t always been a priority for the New Zealander, but to get back to the place he loved – the basketball court – the classroom was going to have to take priority.

“It was pretty hard for sure,” he said. “I spent a lot of time in Dr. Weber’s office, a lot of time in the library, just all day every day, just grinding. I missed some film sessions and some other things to get it done. I even missed a team retreat because I had to take an exam.

“It was definitely the craziest academic semester of my life, but I’m just grateful I did it."

Dr. Weber was a huge key to Bezzant’s success this fall, making a plan for him each day and constantly encouraging him. It’s all been worth it, from her perspective.

“He took a test on a Wednesday that was the final test he needed to pass,” Weber said. “I wanted him to pass it so bad, because he had worked so hard. I was more thrilled when he passed that than any of his games, not only just because he could play but that he had accomplished that big hurdle.”

All that hard work was also not lost on his teammates or coaches.

“I’m proud of him in the aspect that he is going to get his degree,” said Diaz, Bezzant’s closest friend on the team and roommate. “Of course, I’m proud of him for the stuff he’s doing on the court. He’s key to our team, but I’m really proud of him that he is going to get out of here and graduate and have his degree.

“When basketball is done, he will have something to rely on and I’m proud of him for that.”

Bezzant has certainly been stellar on the court for the Nighthawks.

In his first game back, he hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in a 74-71 win at Simon Fraser.

He is averaging a career-high 14.3 points, has successfully made the switch to point guard from shooting guard, and was named to his first all-GNAC first team on Wednesday.

He will lead the Nighthawks (15-10 overall) into their second consecutive GNAC tournament Thursday against Alaska Anchorage at 3:15 p.m. MST at Seattle Pacific.

“I just want to be a good role model for my sisters,” Bezzant said. “I have another sister who just started college, she is more into academics than I am so I think she’ll be fine. I have another sister who's kind of like me – really into sports and wants to come to America to play sports. If she sees I can do it, she’ll know she can as well.”