Auburn forward Chuma Okeke's left knee was in so much pain that he planned to watch the regional final against Kentucky from his hotel and await the return flight to Alabama.
It was late in the first half that Okeke realized he needed to be at Sprint Center.
The sophomore told a member of the Auburn staff that he'd changed his mind, and Okeke was soon being wheeled into the building in downtown Kansas City. He finally made it to the floor at the under-16 media timeout, and watched the rest of the Tigers' 77-71 overtime victory from behind the Auburn bench.