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UNT's Javion Hamlet's Dad Believes He Will Make A Name for Himself During NCAA Tournament

UPDATE: UNT Mean Green Advance For 1st Time Ever In NCAA Tournament With OT Win Against Purdue

DENTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The only one who with more adrenaline pumpin' right now than UNT senior star Javion Hamlet is the man who raised him.

Following the win that sent the Mean Green to the tournament, Louis Hamlet said, "one of the commentators on SportsCenter said, 'Dad you can breathe. Dad you can breathe'."

Louis and Javion Hamlet
Louis and Javion Hamlet (Keith Russell - CBS 11)

A father who could only hold his breath when no one offered his son a division I scholarship, coming out of high school in Memphis.

It's that chip on Javion's shoulder that is the biggest reason UNT is dancin' for the first time since 2010.

Louis said, "he had it as a little kid. Your dream is not over until you say it's over."

Javion Hamlet
Javion Hamlet #3 of the North Texas Mean Green shoots a free throw during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on November 28, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Mean Green 69-54. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Only in a dream could Louis see his boy launch an entire university into the national spotlight....with the camera's cutting to him in the stands. As I showed him the cellphone footage, he goes "there I am...I'm in the midst of everything."

In the midst of the Mean Green's celebration, a proud dad was already trying to figure out how he could get to Indy in time for Friday's first round game against Purdue.

Louis promises "I will be there if I have to sleep in a car and can't get a room. I will be there." Just as he'll be there when Javion graduates in May.

The senior Hamlet is thrilled to see some of the best acts in his child's life. Almost like a Shakespearean play. On the advice he gave Javion, Louis told him, "Man, you gotta a special name and one day, you're gonna see it and you're gonna hear it."

And so will the whole world.

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