Justin Hardy: College player dies after battling advanced cancer on and off the court / News - Basketnews.com

After a 13-month battle with Stage 4 stomach cancer, former St. Charles East star basketball player Justin Hardy has died, according to a statement posted by his family on Twitter.

Diagnosed in April 2021, Hardy completed a summer internship, tutored students in the fall, graduated in December a semester early and recovered from 22 kilos of weight loss to play college basketball. Hailing from St. Charles, the late athlete was only22.

"After 13 months of courageously redefining what it means to live with cancer, Justin passed peacefully early this morning," Justin's father, Bob, wrote on Twitter.

In early April, surrounded and supported by family, teammates and coaches, Hardy received an award in New Orleans during Final Four weekend that recognized a year of achievement. Hardy was one of two athletes given the Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award by the United States Basketball Writers Association for his refusal to let a terminal prognosis sidetrack his immediate plans.

He was the 2018 Kane County Chronicle Boys Basketball Player of the Year. His game-winning three-point shot to stun St. Charles North that season went viral on Twitter. Hardy then went on to play at Washington University in St. Louis, where he stayed even following his graduation last December. Hardy scored a collegiate career-high 28 points in February.

After undergoing surgery last summer, he started the basketball season in November. He underwent rounds of chemotherapy as the season progressed but didn’t miss a game until he was diagnosed with COVID. Eventually, Hardy did have to miss games as the cancer and a new therapy took a toll. He entered the final regular-season game at the Washington U. Field House in the closing seconds to a standing ovation and scored on a layup as time expired.

In place of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Hardy Strong Scholarship for high school graduates.

Around 20% of patients with Stage 4 stomach cancer will survive their cancer for one year or more after they are diagnosed. This type of cancer is harder to treat than earlier stage stomach cancer. That's because it's no longer confined to the stomach and may involve several distant organs. It's usually not curable, but it's considered treatable.

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