Media day today and I’ll have more in Thursday’s S-R, but I wanted to pass along a heart-warming scene from Tuesday’s practice. Gonzaga had a special visitor in 11-year-old Brandon Bird, a two-time cancer survivor who is battling a third recurrence.

Please read on below.

Head coach Mark Few quickly made his way over to talk to Brandon and several of his relatives and was soon followed by the players and assistant coaches.

“We’ve always been fans,” Brandon’s mom, Jo Lynn said, “and this is pretty special.”

Brandon gave the team an autographed hat and a framed picture from when the players visited him on the day after Thanksgiving. The following day, Brandon was courtside at the Spokane Arena for the Ronald McDonald House Charities Classic where he bumped fists with GU forward Elias Harris.

“Rob (Sacre, GU center) and Brandon had a great conversation about Star Wars about their favorite characters because he’s a big fan,” Jo Lynn said. “They’ve all been great. They say ‘Hi’ to him and he says, ‘They’re my friends.’ ”

While the team was in the locker room to study video of Oral Roberts, Thursday’s opponent, Brandon had his picture taken at center court.

“He got a Gonzaga blanket for an early Christmas present and he uses it every day,” Jo Lynn said. “He couldn’t see it, but he felt the embroidery and knew right away what it was. He’s completely blind now and he still knew so it was kind of neat.”