KU honors memory of JP Bemberger, honorary member of 2022 NCAA championship team
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- KU staged a Team IMPACT awareness game to honor honorary teammate JP Bemberger.
- JP joined KU’s roster in 2020, cheered the 2022 title and inspired teammates.
- Team IMPACT pairs children facing illness with college teams; NCAA expanded partnership.
Kansas men’s basketball’s game against Towson on Tuesday night was deemed a “Team IMPACT Awareness game” in honor of Jonathan Phog “JP” Bemberger, the program’s longtime honorary teammate who died in January after a battle with pediatric cancer.
Bemberger, who is from Lenexa, spent four years attending KU games, practices and special events, such as the annual Christmas shopping trip in support of needy families.
Added to the KU basketball roster by coach Bill Self on Nov. 11, 2020, he cheered the Jayhawks in person during their 2022 national championship run. He was part of the victory parade down Mass Street following the title win.
A video honoring Bemberger’s life was played on the center videoboard at halftime on Tuesday. Individuals matched by Team IMPACT with KU’s softball and women’s basketball teams also attended Tuesday’s game, won by KU 73-49.
Team IMPACT is a Massachusetts based nonprofit that pairs children facing serious illness or disability with college sports teams for what the organization calls “life-changing, multi-year experiences.”
According to the organization, “the NCAA has expanded its partnership with Team IMPACT to foster these youth-athlete connections nationwide, promoting belonging and resilience.”
JP, the son of KU grads Tom and Michelle Bemberger, joined the Jayhawk men’s basketball team at 16 after having undergone chemotherapy and radiation as part of his fight against Ewing’s sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. JP’s sister Mya also is a KU grad.
“From my standpoint, JP, I think you fit the criteria we always try to recruit to,” KU coach Bill Self said when Bemberger joined the roster. “We recruit to character, grit, determination and, most importantly, toughness. You fill all those qualities and that would give you a chance to be a good player in our program. Even though this has been an awful ordeal that you had to go through, I can’t imagine, it is also an opportunity for you to spread your story and be an unbelievable example to others.”
In a video in 2023, JP said: “To really be part of the family of KU is just amazing. Being able to hang out with the players, being friends, talking with coach Q (former KU director of basketball operations Fred Quartlebaum). They are always there. They always will be there.”
On the day JP was named a member of KU’s team, JP’s dad Tom said: “We are so excited to be able to hook up with this. It’s been a really tough year. We’ve been following Jayhawk basketball for years and you know his middle name (Phog). This really means a lot to us.”
Quartlebaum spoke about JP at Team IMPACT’s 2024 “Game Day Gala.”
“Who knew our most prized recruit back in 2021 stood 5-foot-7 and weighed 95 pounds?” Quartlebaum said. “Who knew? Who knew JP had special gifts you couldn’t coach or you couldn’t teach? He’s tough, he’s gritty, he’s a fighter, he’s a great teammate. JP embodies all the characteristics and traits of being a champion.”
He continued: “JP’s positive impact touched the lives of countless teammates, coaches, managers and everyone connected to (KU Athletics). JP’s unwavering spirit and passion will forever live on in our hearts and in the legacy he leaves behind.”
According to teamimpact.org, Quartlebaum’s speech at Game Day Gala, “highlighted the rigorous training sessions, strategic planning and endless drills that the team undertook to ensure they were ready for every game (in 2022). He recalled a monumental time during early morning Boot Camp when JP came to practice, stood up out of his wheelchair and did a down-and-back on the court with his teammates cheering him on. JP’s hard work motivated his teammates to keep going, reminded them hard work pays off, and pushed them toward their common goal. With JP on their team, the Jayhawks achieved just that: They became National Champions.”
Former KU guard Jalen Wilson called Bemberger “the spark and the glue of our championship run.”
Past and present Jayhawks who spoke highly of Bemberger publicly included KJ Adams, Christian Braun, Dajuan Harris Jr., Michael Jankovich, Kevin McCullar, Patrick Cassidy, David Coit, Jalen Coleman-Lands, Justin Cross, Elmarko Jackson, Remy Martin, Zeke Mayo and Nick Timberlake.
“The KU family loves you, JP, and will forever hold you in our hearts,” KU athletic director Travis Goff wrote on X upon JP’s passing. “And we know he’s in a better place already making an awesome impact.”
According to the organization: “Based on a clinical model, Team IMPACT guides a symbiotic relationship between teams and children focused on socialization, empowerment and resilience, ensuring everyone involved has the personalized game plan they need to win – effectively building confidence and independence. Founded in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 4,200 children with 800+ colleges and universities in 50 states, impacting more than 105,000 student-athletes. If you know a child or team who may be interested, please visit www.teamimpact.org.”
