22 March 2024
SALT LAKE CITY (KSNT) – KU men’s basketball has fans of all ages and of just about all backgrounds. In fact, KU’s fan base might be growing for odd reasons.
27 News spoke with two fans in Kansas gear on Thursday, ahead of KU’s opening round game against Samford. These two college hoops fanatics have wildly different journeys to rooting on the ‘Hawks in the Delta Center.
Bill Kovack, a 1990 graduate of KU, was thrilled when Kansas got the Salt Lake City draw. He and a friend booked flights and bought tickets for the regional in Utah long before Selection Sunday, back in December.
“Total fluke,” Kovack said. “We started waiting on Selection Sunday and [the regions filled up] but Kansas was left at the end, we were all excited.”
Kovack says he’ll make it a combination of a ski-trip and a perfect opportunity to watch college hoops.
“We started off the great the first of the season, hit some bumpy roads,” he said. “I’ve heard there’s some cohesion stuff happening but it’s all fair game in March so we’ll have to see.”
Contrarily, Justin McKenzie has been rooting for the Jayhawks for only a matter of hours, prior to KU’s 2024 tournament opener.
“I’m from about 30 minutes south of [Salt Lake City] and my wife thinks that the bird is fun and cute… so it’s fun,” McKenzie said, while dressed in a KU t-shirt.
His shirt, however, didn’t match his hat which boasted a BYU logo. Here’s the thing: McKenzie’s Cougars were one of the first teams out of the big dance, losing to Duquense Thursday afternoon.
He plans to adopt the ‘Hawks for the rest of the dance, which will earn a few points with his wife, and calls his confidence level an eight out of ten in his new team.