Gonzaga Coach Mark Few visits former players at Lakers’ practice

Gonzaga Coach Mark Few made a visit to the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Few was at the Time Warner Cable SportsNet studios for the West Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Tip-Off.

The Lakers have two former Bulldogs on the roster, second-year center Robert Sacre and rookie Elias Harris.

“Coach Few and I are great. He’s like my father,” said Sacre after practice. “He raised me to become a man. I love Coach Few and I’d do anything for him.”

Few took a moment to talk to Harris, who is still trying to secure his place on the Lakers’ roster with a partially guaranteed contract ($100,000 of his $490,180 is locked in).

“I’m really excited on the one side but really nervous on the other side because I know there’s one more cut that needs to be done,” said Harris.

The Lakers currently have 16 players under contract. The league maximum on opening night is 15, although the Lakers could go as low as 13.

“[Few] just told me to play with confidence and go all out. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes,” said Harris. “He also said that he knows that I belong here and that I can play at this level.”

As he did with Sacre, Few made a significant impact on Harris’s life.

“I came to Gonzaga as a boy and left as a man. A lot of that has to do with him and the rest of the coaching staff, and the school itself,” said Harris. “I really appreciate those words coming out of his mouth.”

Few has been the head coach of the Bulldogs since 1999. Sacre graduated in 2012 after five years while Harris graduated after four years in June.

The Lakers play one final preseason game Friday night in Anaheim against the Utah Jazz. The team is expected to finalize its roster by Saturday.

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Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.