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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WCIA) — While their impact may not show up on the stat sheet, the players and coaches of this Fighting Illini squad do not mince words when it comes to highlighting the importance of the team managers.
“None of this, everything here, like you guys wouldn’t see half of this if it weren’t for the managers,” Illini guard Ty Rodgers said. “They’re up everyday, they’re in the gym longer than us. They’re at the gym from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday. I come back in the gym at 11-12 at night and they’re in there doing laundry.”
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Echoing that same feeling, the players appreciate not only the effort, but the time the managers give to keep all aspects of the program at a high level at the University of Illinois.
“Those guys are the backbone of this entire program. I always tell people, they’re in the gym more than the coaches and players,” senior guard AJ Redd said. “They’re in first thing in the morning, they’re there until night time, they do so much for us that goes unnoticed. But they’re great guys too, these are guys that we’re all really close with outside of the court and we all hang out together.”
And its not just the players that appreciate the managers; the coaches know how many hands on deck it takes to run a tight ship in order to have a team that makes it to the final weekend of college basketball.
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“You could get me talking a long time about those guys, they’re the most selfless people in this whole deal,” head coach Brad Underwood said. “Every single day they’re helping us on the court, every single day they’re helping us with players, they manage time better than anybody I know, being a student and an athlete.”
And the little things the managers do mean so much to this program. It speaks to not only their importance, but their character.
“I can’t thank them enough, we appreciate them so much, they put in so much work that’s unseen,” Rodgers said. “It just goes to show who they are as people, so shoutout to them.”
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