Creighton players find deeper meaning in Pink Out game against No. 2 UConn

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The pink that Josh Dix and Blake Harper will wear Saturday is for reasons close to home.

For both Creighton players, perspective matters as they prepare for the Pink Out game against No. 2 UConn. The game goes beyond the box score for players who have experienced cancer’s impact on their families firsthand.

“There’s a lot of people going through a lot of things. You’re lucky to be out there playing basketball,” said Dix, a senior guard. “They know that that’s bigger and more important than basketball right now.”

Dix’s mother Kelly is fighting stage 4 colon cancer. His teammates have been supportive throughout the battle, constantly checking on her condition.

“They help me all through it. My teammates are super supportive. Always asking, like, how she’s doing and stuff,” Dix said.

For Harper, a sophomore guard, the Pink Out carries different weight. Breast cancer took his mother in May 2023.

“It’s a little bit different. It’s not just a regular basketball game,” Harper said. “This one kind of hits the heart a little bit. We’re kind of playing for something a little bit more.”

Harper, an only child, has found support in his teammate who understands the struggle.

“I just play it up top in my mind, but for it to be all around me, I’m not the only one, so that’s kind of the beautiful thing about it,” Harper said. “It’s definitely going to hit something different in my heart.”

Dix and Harper have bonded over their shared experiences with cancer affecting their families.

“Me and Josh talk about that stuff a lot, because it’s life. I feel for Josh because I feel like I was just in the same predicament. That’s my boy, and we’re so vulnerable with each other,” Harper said.

Coach Greg McDermott recognizes the added significance this year’s Pink Out holds for his team.

“I think it really hits home this year with some of the stories on our team with a couple of our guys,” McDermott said. “Blake was young. He’s an only child. We talk about the impacts that cancer can have on families. Our guys have experienced it firsthand.”

Both players believe Saturday’s game against UConn will carry extra meaning as they lean on each other while hoping to upset the second-ranked Huskies.

“This is going to be a big game for both of us. I feel it,” Harper said.

“I think it hits home a little bit more. I think tomorrow will be a little bit more meaningful,” McDermott added.

“I think that this basketball game just brings a lot of people together,” Dix said.