INDIANAPOLIS — Buffs star guard K.J. Simpson hit the biggest shot of his life when he beat Florida at the buzzer in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. And thanks to a last minute flight that landed in Indianapolis at 5 a.m., his mom was able to be there.
“Never been here before, so I was just like Uber, whatever. Any means necessary just to get here and just be present,” smiled Patricia Cornejo, Simpson’s mother.
After Simpson celebrated with his team, he walked over to the stands and shared a special moment with his mom. They hugged in excitement about the upset win.
“He was telling me he appreciated me being there and he didn’t want to let go. It was just a special moment.”
KJ was so thankful she was there to see him on the biggest stage, “That’s my mom, you know. That’s my rock. That’s my everything. I was looking for her in the warmups immediately. Just to see her it was really special. Anything that I was thinking about basketball-wise, it just all went away and I was just like, my mom is here.”
It was a moment the two will never forget. “Amazing because you know you raised a fine young man,” said Patricia. “Yes, he plays amazing basketball but when people come up to us and tell us what a fine young man he is, that’s what you hope for. That you raised a fine young man.”
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