‘He courses through our veins’: WashU basketball honors Justin Hardy with second annual HardyStrong game

| Managing Sports Editor

WashU head coach Pat Juckem wears a HardyStrong shirt at the second annual HardyStrong game on Jan. 31. (Ella Giere | Photo Editor)

On Feb. 26, 2022, two months after he graduated from WashU, Justin Hardy subbed into WashU’s final regular season game against The University of Chicago. Weak from months of chemotherapy, he dribbled down the court and scored the Bears’ final points of the game. When the final buzzer went off, WashU and Chicago players embraced Hardy in what would be his last game for the Bears.

Five months later, Hardy tragically passed away after a 13-month-long battle with cancer which he fought while undergoing treatment and playing his senior season at WashU.

Now, three years later, WashU took to the court against Brandeis University on Jan. 31 for the second annual HardyStrong game, a game honoring Hardy’s legacy and raising awareness about stomach cancer.

“There are so many people that were touched by [Hardy’s story], not only in our community here at WashU and his hometown, but nationally, and I think all of us feel a sense of responsibility to carry forward,” WashU head coach Pat Juckem said about Hardy’s legacy.

Hardy was diagnosed with stomach cancer before his senior season. What at first seemed like an insurmountable obstacle became a motivation for not only Hardy but also his teammates, family, WashU, and eventually the nation.

In February of 2022, Hardy sat down for a segment with ESPN’s College Gameday and in March for one with SportsCenter. From there his story grew, showing people what his mantra “mind over matter” truly meant.

In the SportsCenter segment, he said, “you write your story. From the opening cover to the very last page. This disease cannot take that away from you. Go out there and defy the odds. Rewrite how to live with cancer. You are going to do some incredible things.” 

And incredible things Hardy did.

While undergoing rigorous cancer treatment, Hardy played in 21 games and started in 18, averaging over 10 points per game. He also put up a career-high 28 points in a game not once, but twice. In the classroom, Hardy continued to excel, being named to the all-academic conference team in 2022 and graduating from the Olin Business School in just seven semesters. 

Two years ago, Hardy’s family started the HardyStrong Foundation to raise awareness about stomach cancer, provide scholarships to seniors at St. Charles East High School, Hardy’s alma mater, and honor Hardy’s legacy. Juckem, who coached Hardy at WashU, sits on the foundation’s board.

In an interview last spring, Juckem described serving on the foundation’s board as an honor.

“The HardyStrong Foundation is now in its second year and had an absolutely incredible first year,” he said. “While it couldn’t save him, his life is gonna save many others, let alone make others lives better.”

On Friday, January 31, the WashU men’s and women’s basketball teams honored Hardy’s legacy with the annual HardyStrong game. 

Senior Hayden Doyle spoke before Friday’s game about the important role Hardy, who was a senior during Doyle’s freshman year, played in his life. Despite only knowing Hardy while he was undergoing treatment, Doyle described Hardy as a constant positive force on the team.

“Even though he was sick, he was always positive,” Doyle said. “It doesn’t make sense.” 

After the game, which the Bears won 83-58, Doyle spoke about the importance of carrying on Hardy’s legacy through events like the HardyStrong game.

“I mean a lot of it is just telling stories and memories that I have and our other two seniors have of experiences we have had with him or stuff from when he was younger that we heard about and trying to get his legacy to live on forever,” Doyle said. “That’s gonna be hard once we leave because [the younger players] didn’t have a relationship with him like we did. But I think it’s just telling stories and reminding people, and when something comes up where it’s like a big game and we talk about him, [it] is really cool.”

Doyle also shared the positive impact that Hardy had on his life both on and off the court at WashU and Hardy’s ability to connect with everyone on the team.

“He had such good relationships that he knew how to connect with each guy in a unique way,” Doyle said.

This year’s seniors, Doyle, Kyle Beedon, and Drake Kindsvater, are the last class of WashU basketball players to have played with Hardy. Next year, remembering Hardy will enter what Juckem described as a “new phase.”

“I think [there is] even more responsibility on our part to keep Justin’s legacy alive here at WashU in our program,” Juckem said. “And it’s a cool opportunity. We’re gonna keep bringing new people in, new students who haven’t heard [and] weren’t here… I hope and pray someday that someone takes it up and turns it into a movie. It should be a movie. It was pretty miraculous. And to this point… really the only athlete that we could find that actually went through and was playing competitively at a high level while undergoing the most aggressive chemotherapy and treatment possible. It’s just something that is not done.”

Junior Sports Editor Eliza Stulman contributed reporting.

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