HOUSTON – The cougar roster is a tight-knit group and they also have another member of the University of Houston family they are close with.
The team surprised their “lead ball boy” Jace Abarca with news that he and his family are going to Kansas City Friday for the game against Miami.
Jace battles nephrotic syndrome and lupus and through team impact, he was matched with the team.
Jace became a member of the basketball program after signing his “Cougars Letter of Intent” during a press conference on the practice court inside the Guy V. Lewis Development Facility last year, according to a news release from the team.
“One of the most important things that we look for is being able to be a great teammate,” head coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Great teams are made of great teammates. That was the thing about Jace that jumped out at us right away. He comes from a great family. He is a leader and has two little brothers who look up to him. We think he might have some leadership and point guard skills as we develop him.”
“Jace has been an inspiration since we found out what he has,” his father James said during an interview at the signing last year. “From day one, he has never hesitated. He has said ‘whatever we have to do to get through this, I am going to do.’ Jace has motivated and inspired everyone around us. Despite what he was facing, he was the one picking us up and motivating us to get through a lot of things with his positive attitude and love of life. It’s an honor to be welcomed to a bigger family.”
KPRC 2′s Randy McIlvoy spoke with him after he received the news. Watch what Jace had to say in the media player above.