This Sunday when the Bellarmine Knights take the floor against the Louisville Cardinals they will have a new member of the team. That member is 15 year old Patrick McSweeney. Patrick is suffering from life threatening leukemia but will be announced as a starter this Sunday for the Knights according to a fantastic article written by ESPN’s Dana O’Neil. This will without a doubt be a great moment for everyone involved and much respect goes out to Coach Davenport and Coach Pitino for making it happen. The exhibition starts at 12:30 and you can follow Patrick on twitter @pmacrocks.
From Dana O’Neil Article:
And on Sunday at 12:30 he’ll be introduced as a starter against his favorite college basketball team, the University of Louisville, in an exhibition game.
“It’s the boost he needs right now,” Debbie McSweeney, Patrick’s mother. “Just this week we found out his T cells aren’t being effective and for us to get this news, a day after some really bad news, it’s what he needed. It’s what we all needed right now, to have a little bit more hope.”
“Patrick was just speechless,” Debbie McSweeney said. “Basketball is this kid’s favorite sport. Having Bellarmine, having something that’s normal, that’s the key. With all of these treatments, all the isolation, normal disappears.”
McSweeney will take part in the entire day – from the pregame meal, to the walkthrough, to the bus ride to the arena, to, if all goes well, the first bucket.
“He’s going to blow by Terry Rozier, go by Chris Jones and score a layup,’’ Davenport said. “We’ll just be sure to tell Montrezl Harrell not to block it.”
he family thought he’d only be there for one night but with the news that his T cells weren’t responding properly, he now will be away for at least two weeks. Originally they planned to directly from the Yum! Center and make the 14-hour drive, so they’d have a car, a drive Debbie McSweeney was admittedly dreading.
“Coach Pitino said, ‘No, they’re not driving,’” Davenport said.
The Louisville coach is flying the family there, making sure they have transportation, and paying for their hotel stay.
“The only thing that’s left is to make sure we fill the place,” Davenport said. “If people have a ticket, show up. If you don’t have a ticket, get one.”
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