Kansas State fans travel to watch the Wildcats play basketball in NCAA Tournament
17 March 2023
DAYTON, Ohio (KSNW) — Rather than cheering for Kansas State University (K-State) or the University of Kansas (KU) in the NCAA Tournament this year, some basketball fans in Wichita may be cheering for the University of Pittsburg.
Why? Blake Hinson and Jamarius Burton.
Blake Hinson
Blake Hinson is a junior forward for Pitt. He played basketball for Sunrise Christian Academy during his senior year of high school.
Hinson says Coach Luke Barnwell and the Sunrise program helped build him into the player he is today.
“I literally give all of my success and my career, especially my early success, to Sunrise because that’s where it deserves to be at. All of the credit goes to Sunrise, they got me a lot better, it got me prepared for college. They told me that ‘you guys are going to be one of the first building stone,’ to what it is now. I’m super proud of that program, super proud of Coach Luke and what they do,” Hinson said.
For stats and more on Hinson, view him on Pitt’s 2022-23 Men’s Basketball Roster.
Jamarius Burton
Jamarius Burton is a senior guard for Pitt. He played basketball for Wichita State University (WSU) during the 2019-2020 season, transferring after the pandemic shut the season down.
Burton says he cherished the time he spent in Wichita and will always have a place in his heart for the Shockers.
“I would just say that for all of us, Wichita State was a stepping stone to not only develop us as men but basketball players. We’ve been able to take those experiences and use them at the universities that we’re at now.”
For stats and more on Burton, view him on Pitt’s 2022-23 Men’s Basketball Roster.
The Pittsburgh Panthers beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs 60-59 Tuesday. Hinson played for 38 minutes, rebounding 4, assisting 1 and scoring 12. Burton played for 19 minutes, rebounding 3, assisting 3 and scoring 6.
The next game in the NCAA tournament to feature a team from Kansas is the K-State vs. Montana game at 8:40 p.m. on Friday, March 17, on CBS.