Lee’s Summit West grad to play in Sweet 16 at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Friday’s Sweet Sixteen at the T-Mobile Center is a homecoming for Texas star Christian Bishop.

The game between 2-seed Texas and 3-seed Xavier is a bit of Déjà vu for the Longhorns. Less than two weeks ago, they were cutting down the nets on the same court as Big 12 Tournament champions.

“We’re used to winning here,” Bishop said. “We’re making this our second home and we’re just trying to keep it going and take care of what we gotta do.”

When Bishop says home, he means that literally.

He went to high school 20 miles down the road, graduating from Lee’s Summit West in 2018.

“Probably the thing with Christian that I’m most proud of is just what a wonderful young man he is,” Bishop’s high school coach Michael Schieber said. “Regardless of the outcome of this game, Christian’s gonna be a winner.”

“He’s taught me a lot,” Bishop said of Schieber. “Especially just like the drive and the push and the motivation he’s given to me and instilled in high school. We were really close. So having that relationship with a coach is really beneficial to players, and I was able to prosper out of it, and I’m able to put on for him when he’s at the game.”

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When he takes the court tonight, it’ll be a special moment - not just for Bishop, but for the dozens of people in the stands who helped him along the way.

“To be able to watch those guys go out and compete at the highest level and find success is beyond anything this small-town farm kid ever thought he’d be watching, that’s for sure,” Schieber said. “My kids mean a lot to me here. And he means a great deal to me. It’s a special, special feeling and I’m rooting like heck for him.”

“Man, you can’t write this up,” Bishop said. “There’s no script for this or anything. I’m just blessed for the opportunity and trying to make the most of it.”

Texas and Xavier tip-off at 8:45 p.m. on KCTV5.

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