VIDEO: An inside look at Hilltopper Basketball's Visit to CCK

Photo Gallery | Nelson Interview (VIDEO) | Murray Interview (VIDEO)

SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball visited The Center for Courageous Kids on Saturday planning to work through several basketball drills with the campers, but it came as a shock to no one that it ultimately turned into a dance party.
 
"The team's big on dancing," WKU graduate senior forward Desean Murray said with a laugh. "We love to have fun with each other. We love each other, so I saw that coming."
 
Whether it was playing basketball, dancing or just hanging out, the Hilltoppers' ultimate goal was to have a good time and spread the cheer during their latest community outreach initiative.
 
The Center for Courageous Kids (CCK) is a not-for-profit medical camping facility in nearby Scottsville, Ky., the home of WKU legend and all-time leading scorer Jim McDaniels.
 
Since 2008, the CCK has welcomed more than 30,000 children with over 100 different illnesses, from 45 states and 10 foreign countries – all free of charge.
 
This weekend's event was the Miller Harris Foundation Asthma Fall Family Retreat. Many of the campers are unable to participate in group sports due to their diagnosis, so joining the Hilltoppers at stations that included shooting, dribbling and passing allowed them a chance to shine and be a team atmosphere.
 
"It's always a great time when we're able to come out and do something for the community like this," sophomore forward Marek Nelson said. "The kids know who we are and look up to us, so it's great to come out and show them how to have some fun, do what we love and play basketball with them."
 
The Hilltoppers came onto the court at CCK on Saturday in style through a tunnel of workers and counselors, then helped the campers through a series of basketball-related activities.
 
After everyone had a chance to try each aspect of the game, the campers and WKU players gathered at center court for a dance-off – a new tradition for most of the Hilltoppers' community service projects.
 
Each family spending the weekend at CCK also had the opportunity to take a separate photo with the Hilltoppers in attendance.
 
"I hope they got a lot from this and had a great time," Murray said. "I know I learned a lot myself. Everybody's the same, and everybody can play this game, have fun and do it together. I hope we were an encouragement to them and an example for them."
 
With practice set to officially begin for WKU in about a week, Saturday's outing capped an offseason full of outreach opportunities for the program.
 
Since the beginning of the summer, the Hilltoppers have twice welcomed visitors from Camp Happy Days, a program for those with special needs provided by the city of Bowling Green. Both visits let the team do what it does best – play basketball and dance.
 
In addition to working the Rick Stansbury Summer Camps at E.A. Diddle Arena, they also donated school supplies to the annual Stuff the Bus campaign, which takes the supplies and distributes them among children in need in surrounding counties.
 
A few days later, some of the Hilltoppers who missed Stuff the Bus because of classroom obligations helped out at the first Back to School Bash program in town that handed out school supplies to more than 100 children over the course of a few hours. The players helped the kids pick out school supplies, took photos, and once again, did some dancing.
 
WKU also participated in the annual United Way Day of Caring at South Lawn on campus. The team played football, soccer, cornhole and other games with children from numerous area groups, providing lifelong memories.
 
Additionally, juniors Moustapha Diagne and Jared Savage traveled to Belize for 10 days in May as part of a cultural exchange trip through the Sports Reach sports ministry program. They went 6-0 in basketball competition but also had the chance to lead basketball clinics for local children, as well as visit children's homes and churches.
 
The Hilltoppers play their first exhibition game against Campbellsville at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at E.A. Diddle Arena and open the regular season Nov. 6 at Washington.
 
But days like Saturday help them keep everything in perspective.
 
"We love getting to bond with them, and we always grow relationships with them," Nelson said. "It's great to come back and see how our relationships continue to grow with the children, because it means a lot to them."