UCCS men’s basketball team has international flavor

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- UCCS has embraced the international game.

Jeremiah McKenzie, aka Jezza McKenzie, was a youth league champion, an MVP, and then a professional… in Australia.

Back in 2018, UCCS was in Australia where they found McKenzie. Life comes at you fast, and now he’s here.

"I had to look it up. I had never heard of it before. I had never really heard of the state of Colorado before," says McKenzie. "Yeah, I had to do a little bit of research about it."

Mckenzie’s got some speed. He likes to push the tempo. It makes sense that he likes to move. He was stuck in limbo when the pandemic broke out trying to get here. But he’s here now, and is starting for the Mountain Lions. Although talking trash on the court takes some extra effort.

"I like trash talking. Some people don’t get it, but I'm always happy to repeat myself, and explain what I'm trying to say to them."

There’s another player, Mac Stodart, who’s from New Zealand. He transfered to UCCS from Concordia. He and McKenzie have formed their own bond within the team.

"It’s really good to have someone else on the team that’s like a buddy who understands what you’re saying half the time, at least," says Stodart.

Their slang is different from what their teammates are used to.

"Tracking dacks, which are like pants. We call 'hoodies' jumpers," McKenzie says.

"I’ll say ‘Kia Ora Whānau’ and stuff like that, which I'm sure no one here understands," says Stodart. "It’s just like, ‘Hello Family’ pretty much."

"When they talk about the trash can, instead of saying the trash can, they’ll say bin or bin bag," says guard Alijah Comithier. "Or, when the want a band-aid because they’re bleeding, they say plaster. I don’t really understand that either."

"It’s a bunch of fun with the lads," says Stodart who immediately draws a laugh from a passing teammate. "With the lads!" his teammate mocks, jokingly.