HOUSTON — On Thursday, the day before the University of Houston's Sweet 16 matchup with Miami, the team made a special announcement to a boy who has become a big part of this Cougar family.
Kelvin Sampson, Jamal Shead and Emmanuel Sharp took time after practice Thursday to talk to their friend.
"Best of luck in the Sweet 16. Hopefully, it means luck," Jace Abarca said in a video call.
In October, Jace officially became a member of the Houston Cougars. The boy who has lupus and battles a kidney disorder joined the team as a ball boy thanks to the Team Impact organization.
Now, seven months later, that ball boy will get a chance to see his favorite team in person again.
"Guess what," Sharp told Jace on the call. "Team Impact is sending you to the Sweet 16 with us and you're gonna help us win this game."
Tickets to Kansas City; their good luck charm is on the way.
"It was amazing," Sharp said. "There's no better feeling than to help a small kid like Jace, especially with issues that he has going on, just to give him a little bit of joy. And it's just great for the team. We're gonna be very happy to see him out there with us. It's a great feeling knowing that you're bringing somebody else joy, so it's a great feeling for us. We love Jace."
Even if you're not at the game like Jace, you can catch the game LIVE on KHOU 11!
Watching the Coogs or any other team with an antenna? KHOU 11 has upgraded its technology and is broadcasting on both VHF and UHF. Tune in on either 11.1 or 11.11.