Like a lot of people around the world, Texas Longhorns junior forward Kamaka Hepa had his plans upended by the coronavirus pandemic.
When the Big 12 tournament was canceled back in March and the Longhorns basketball season quickly came to an end with the cancelation of the postseason tournaments, Hepa decided to return home to Utqiagvik, Alaska, formerly known as Barrow. The northernmost city in the United States, Utqiagvik is only accessible by plane.
It’s not an easy trip, either — Hepa said it normally takes a full day to travel from Austin to Utqiagvik.