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Connected to KU from birth, Beck family pays homage to Uncle Anthony at open practice
SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU
OUISVILLE, Ky. - As Kansas took the floor for its open practice on Wednesday, cheers rang out from the pockets of crimson and blue spread across the lower bowl of the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
In the stands, some fans raised up posters; others held things they wanted signed, ranging from shoes and basketballs to even small scraps of paper. But it was something else that caught the attention of sophomore guard Devonte' Graham.
It was a clock hanging around the neck of one fan, Emma Beck - an eighth-grader from Cincinnati - that piqued Graham's interest, as described by Emma's father, Travis.
"Wayne [Selden Jr.] you've got to see this," Travis recalled Graham saving.
To the Beck family, following Kansas is nothing new. The family has already been to three games in Allen Fieldhouse this year, in addition to making trips to Maui and a couple other venues.
However, the clock was a different story. It was something different, a bit more out there than the family was used to.
"My parents thought I was a little crazy, but I just saw from Uncle Anthony and his clock," Emma said. "And Devonte' is my favorite player. I have a big crush on him too."
So after finally convincing her parents the clock was the way to go — and getting an assist from her mother — Emma was ready. But as she called out to the players, she wasn't alone.
Her brother Eli,age seven,stood by her side,hold
ing out a sign with three pictures on it; two drawings of a clock and a cutout of a Jayhawk.
Accompanying the images were three words, spelled out in bright crimson, blue and yellow letters:
For some, it might be surprising for two kids whose total age combined is less than several players on the team to be in tune with the more intricate and recent storylines, such as Uncle Anthony, but Emma and Eli aren't your typical Kansas fans.
"It's Devonte' time."
As the players and coaches walked out on the floor, Eli recognized and called out to "Coach Q" - Fred Quartlebaum, director of student-athlete development - while Emma turned to her father to ask where Andrea Hudy, the team's strength and conditioning coach, was.
The two kids seemed like naturals sitting front row behind the band. In some ways, they already were.
Travis said that both Eli and Emma have been around the program for a long time: going to games, attending camps with the coaches and, of course, watching games at home in Cincinnati.
However, there's another connection that makes it all seem like it was meant to be.
For most Kansas fans, the date of April 7, 2008 is special. It was the day Kansas defeated Memphis to win its third National Championship under the current format, and fifth counting Helms Championships.
For the Beck family, the day carries a greater meaning. And it all started with a premonition from Travis about his wife, who was pregnant at the time.
and plane tickets and everything, and we were ready to go," Travis said. "And my wife wasn't due for another three weeks, but I really felt strongly I shouldn't go."
Travis' decision turned out to be the right one, as Eli was born on that Monday, the day Kansas won the National Championship.
So from the day he was born, it only made sense that Eli would support the team. Fate pretty much decided that he was going to be a Kansas fan. Likewise, Travis said his connection to Kansas left him little say in the matter.
"Both moments were fantastic." Travis said.
Travis, along with his brother Tyler, grew up in Overland Park around the time Kansas won its second National Championship, this time with Danny Manning leading the way.
"My older son and I had tickets [to the Final Four]
"It completely brainwashed us into being Kansas fans," Travis said with a smile.
From there, the Beck family was hooked. From the first generations of Kansas fans to Eli, the youngest of the group, there seems to be little wavering in the support for the team.
And for a family that's so intertwined in the good fortune of various Kansas teams, who knows? Perhaps a decade from now it'll be Eli leading the team into the NCAA tournament.
After all, he did say he models his game after two players on the team.
"Probably Wayne Selden or Frank Mason." Eli said, when asked who his favorite players are. "They play where I play."
- Edited by Samantha Harms
Scott Chasen/KANSAN Sophomore guard Devonte' Graham poses for a picture with the Beck family in Louisville, Kentucky, at the KFC Yum! Center.
Scott Chasen/KANSAN practice on Wednesday
Scott Chasen/KANSAN Emma and Eli Beck wait for the Kansas players to emerge from the tunnel at Kansas' open practice on Wednesday March 23 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.