Last year, Evan McKee was helping lead the student section at a basketball game, similar to his role as Havocs president at Midnight Madness earlier this month, making sure they were doing chants and cheers …
“When out of the corner of my eye this guy yells, ‘Dude, this is the biggest party I’ve ever been to! I’m gonna need two Diet Cokes to recover from this,’” McKee recalled.
“I turn around and it’s Davis, and he is just having the time of his life, dripping in sweat, dancing his mind off. He is having the best time I’ve ever seen anyone have.”
That Havoc is Davis Ketchum, a participant of the LOPES Academy, GCU’s two-year, nondegree program for neurodivergent adults.
He has become one of the most enthusiastic Havocs in recent memory, taking full advantage of being on a college campus.
“He was back at the next game, and I just happened to see him in the aisle again, and we talked some more, and we just kept talking. Davis became a fixture of GCU basketball,” McKee said. “We ended up exchanging phone numbers and now we text daily.”
McKee was dressed in a Captain America costume and Davis as Woody from “Toy Story” as frenzied students ushered in the season at Midnight Madness with a costume party theme, warming up for a season when Havocs are credited for creating “The Biggest Party in College Basketball.”
Both will be in full throat Saturday night as the season tips off with an exhibition game against USC.
“This is one of the dreams I had in mind,” Ketchum said.
“I like to get the students off their feet, get their attention and basically turn the volume up nice and loud and scream at the top of my lungs.”
His favorite part?
“Probably going crazy and wild and basically making lots of noise – because I’m a party animal, OK?” he said.
He loves to rhythmically wave his arms overhead to a campy-beat song during the Purple Pregame Party and then jump and point at the opposing team as they take the court.
Other students have noticed his enthusiasm, telling him at Midnight Madness, “That’s a sick costume.”
“I’ve always been a fan of Woody throughout my life,” Ketchum says, “and my favorite quote is when he says, ‘There’s a snake in my boot!’ And also, ‘Somebody’s poisoned the water hole!’”
It’s part of immersing LOPES Academy participants in the college experience, whether going to Chapel and basketball games or eating a burrito from Qdoba at lunch.
Every academy participant can get student tickets to games and access to the Havocs section, said Courtney Patton, LOPES Academy program manager. Ketchum went a step further.
“Through his networking skills, he connected with Evan and shared his interest in the Havocs program. He was able to get the Havocs gear and a Havocs early entry pass.”
Ketchum even went on the trip to California last year, when GCU beat Stanford.
He lives in north Peoria, plays basketball at his community park, works at the Fry’s down the street and attends his LOPES Academy courses at GCU.
“Davis is on the autism spectrum,” said his father, Kevin Ketchum. “We were so happy and honored he got to be part of that program. Since then, we have been going to all the basketball games.
“Davis just always strives to be a mainstream person, which is challenging. But he just fell in love with the hoopla, the game and running with the students.”
It’s more than that, though. “His biggest challenge is social interaction. This is good for his social skills and for meeting people and getting involved.”
Davis Ketchum insists he is “basically a mainstream person” and one day hopes to have a job selling tickets at the arena.
But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t honor his current parttime post at Fry’s.
“I’m trying to get more friends shopping at Fry’s and supporting my business and company,” he said. “I even explained it to Evan, and he was like, ‘OK, dude, I’m so in on shopping at Fry’s.”
His relationship with the Havocs president has blossomed.
“Him and I just talk about God and basketball,” Ketchum said.
McKee said he never thought to “big time” Ketchum, because we are all imperfect people, loved by God.
“It’s trying to love like Jesus. He went out of his way to love every single person, and I strive to be more like that on a day-to-day basis. It’s not rocket science, really, it’s just like an opportunity to love someone, and see them as I would see anyone.”
Ketchum was dropped off by his dad for Midnight Madness and picked up in the wee hours of the morning, after yelling and dancing. He said it was one of the best times of his life.
“If every single person on this campus loved GCU as much as Davis, it would be a better place,” McKee said. “He is so passionate about, not only about the Havocs and basketball, but everything that GCU stands for – and lets everyone know about it.
“He spreads the Gospel constantly. He loves Jesus, he loves GCU. We all have something to aspire to – to be like Davis.”
Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected]
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