There’s a touching Christmas story for all the world to see currently playing on the popular Internet site YouTube.com.
And it involves Kansas University basketball.
Click the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vThhJv8s0T4&NR=1 and you’ll view “Hunter’s Phone Call” – a 2 minute, 44 second video clip of KU coach Bill Self’s cell communication with 9-year-old Salina native Hunter Watson.
In the clip, Self both encourages Hunter, whose 7-year-old sister, Chloe, died on Oct. 17, and invites him to attend next Tuesday’s KU-Loyola game with seats behind the bench at Allen Fieldhouse.
The expressions on Hunter Watson’s face during the Dec. 10 call – and comments in his exchange with Self – are telling to say the least.
“I can’t believe it. I’m talking to the coach that has a team ranked 3 in the country!” young KU fan Watson exclaimed speaking on speakerphone with Self, piano music in the background.
“We’ve got some work to do. We’ve got to get to No. 1, don’t we?” Self asked the fourth grader at Coronado School.
“Yep,” Watson responded.
Suffice it to say, Hunter Watson accepted Self’s invitation to attend the Loyola game and will be on hand with his mom, Heidi Feyerherm, who posted the clip on You Tube.
It’ll be Hunter’s first game in the Fieldhouse.
“It’s been a really hard year. For Hunter, this type of thing is priceless,” said Feyerherm. “He had no idea. It (phone call) was quite the surprise for him. Hunter felt pretty special. I joked with him about how Bill Self was his friend now. We’ll be talking about KU and I’ll say, ‘Maybe Bill will call and you can talk to him.”‘
She’s most grateful to both Self and Blue Beacon, a company that adopted Heidi’s family for Christmas and contacted Self, who also provided Hunter with a basketball autographed by all of KU’s players.
“He (Self) mentioned something about letting Hunter shoot baskets with the team. We’re hoping to stand next to some players,” Heidi Feyerherm added, realizing the Jayhawks will tower over Hunter, who “is a pretty much a sports nut. He’ll tell you the score from the (KU) games three years ago.”
Hunter said Wednesday his first reaction to Self’s call was: “Is this true?”
He added that he had “no clue” what would be in store for him in attending his first KU game, but indicated Sasha Kaun, Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers were players he’d most like to meet.
Hunter and his mom did have a Merry Christmas.
“It was good. It was different,” Heidi said of the Christmas without Chloe.
And they’ll have a memorable Jan. 8.
“We look forward to meeting you. Promise me you’ll do well in school,” Self said on the memorable phone call. “Will you do that?”
“Yes,” Hunter responded quickly.
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BC improves to 10-2: KU next will meet Boston College at 11 a.m., Central time, Saturday at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The Eagles improved to 10-2 on Wednesday by thumping Longwood, 81-52. Junior guard Tyrese Rice led the way with 24 points.
Freshmen Rakim Sanders and Corey Raji had 14 and 11 respectively, while senior Tyrelle Blair contributed 10 in the Eagles’ victory.
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Unbeaten … so far: KU is trying to become 14-0 for the first time since 2004-05. The best start in school history is 22-0 in 1997-98.
Little to visit KSU
Mario Little, who learned everything there is to know about Kansas University basketball last week, this weekend will become immersed in Kansas State hoops.
Little, a 6-foot-5 sophomore guard from Chipola (Fla.) Community College, said Wednesday he will honor his promise to KSU coach Frank Martin and make an official recruiting trip to KSU.
On Monday, former Chicago Washington High standout Little indicated he might cancel visits to finalists KSU and Illinois (Sept. 28) and orally commit to KU.
“The (KSU) coaches are telling me I can come in and replace Bill Walker in their lineup if he goes pro,” Little told gopowercat.com. “They think I can come in right away and make an impact on the team and the whole organization.
“I like Kansas quite a bit. Kansas State has been telling me a lot of good stuff, and they are an up-and-coming program. I really like the coaches at Kansas State, too. And Illinois is close to home, so I’ve always liked them,” Little added.
Morris twins have new list
Markieff and Marcus Morris of Living Faith Christian Academy in Cherry Hill, N.J, who this week asked out of their letters-of-intent to Memphis, will attend either KU, West Virginia, Villanova, Rutgers, St. John’s or LaSalle.
“We could wind up anywhere,” 6-foot-10 Markieff Morris told the Philadelphia Daily News. “Right now, we have the same perspective on all of them. No favorite. We’re going to make three visits – and they’ll be starting up soon – and then make a decision.”
Why did the Philadelphia natives decommit to UM?
“It’s just like with high school. If you’re going somewhere and you don’t feel 100 percent comfortable with it, you transfer,” Marcus said. “We don’t think Memphis would be our best fit.”
Tyshawn Taylor update
KU coaches Bill Self and Joe Dooley on Wednesday visited the home of Tyshawn Taylor, a 6-3 guard from St. Anthony High in Jersey City, N.J.
“The in-home visit with Kansas was a huge success,” Taylor told Rivals.com. “I don’t know when I’m going to officially visit, but it’s going to happen. Kansas is definitely an option for me, and one that I’m going to seriously consider.”
He will visit Virginia Tech this weekend, Georgia Tech on Oct. 12 and Virginia on Oct. 19.
Eight vie for Monroe
Greg Monroe, a 6-10 forward from Helen Cox High in Harvey, La., will welcome KU’s coaches into his home on Sept. 22. The country’s No. 1 prospect already has met with coaches from Duke, LSU and Georgetown and has scheduled visits with USC, Baylor, UConn and Texas.
St. John’s back in
Mookie Jones, 6-6 from Peekskill (N.Y.) High, told the West Paterson (N.J.) Herald-News that St. John’s is back on his list. Others: KU, DePaul, Rutgers, Syracuse, Marquette and Michigan.
Juniors on radar, too
Daniel Orton, a 6-9, 275-pound junior from McGuinness High in Oklahoma City, tells Rivals.com he’ll probably visit KU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and some Texas schools unofficially this school year. UConn, UCLA, Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio State are also on his early list.
Also, in a surprising development, Rivals reports that Xavier Henry, 6-6 junior from Putnam City (Okla.) High, said he will visit Memphis, not North Carolina for Midnight Madness. He also likes KU, Oklahoma, Louisville and Ohio State.
More on McDonald
Phillip McDonald, 6-5 from Cypress Springs (Texas) High, who committed to New Mexico on Tuesday night, canceled his weekend visit to KU. He also was considering Oregon and Oklahoma.
McDonald told the Albuquerque Journal that UNM assistant Chris Walker proved the deciding factor. Walker, who coached McDonald’s AAU team, was hired by New Mexico coach Steve Alford in August.
“I’ve known him (Walker) for a long time, and I’m really close with him,” McDonald told the Journal. “I know he will always be there for me. It makes it much easier leaving home with him being at New Mexico. He’s like a father- figure for me.”
Digger coming to town?
ESPN’s Digger Phelps indicated on Jack Harry’s 38 Sports Spot that he’d be traveling to Lawrence this winter for ESPN Game Day festivities.
It long has been rumored the KU-Kansas State game on March 1 will be one of ESPN’s Game Day Saturdays. KU officials have not yet been informed if that indeed is the case.
