story by seth jones
•
photography by carter gaskins
BIGGER THAN For one night, Eudora became the basketball capital of Kansas—for a great cause.
E
udora might be a small community compared to its neighbors, but the town knows its basketball. After all, the memory of the Eudora’s boys basketball state championship in 2014 is still fresh. But there was a basketball game that took place in the Eudora High School gymnasium last year that will be remembered for years, that impacted lives, and not because of the game’s final score. The game included several professional players and even one NCAA Men’s Basketball National Player of the Year … yet even former KU star and current Milwaukee Buck Frank Mason took a backseat to the true stars of the evening. For the first time, the Rock Chalk Roundball Classic, an annual charity basketball game benefiting children battling cancer or other challenging illnesses, was held right here in Eudora. Organized by the “Voice of the Jayhawks,” Brian Hanni, the game included former Jayhawk standouts such as Cole Aldrich, Perry Ellis, Ben McLemore and 2008 National Championship guard Sherron Collins. Despite collecting such an impressive list of accolades, those players all knew this game wasn’t about them. “It was a fun event— I’m happy to be back,” Mason told reporters following the game. “This is bigger than basketball. I just wanted to contribute in any way that I can.”
24
