Indiana is rooted in traditions. From the Martha the Mop Lady video playing before every basketball game to the thrill of Little 500, Indiana takes pride in the value of its traditions.
And one of those traditions includes the IU Men’s Basketball team managers.
“Historically, they’ve been a really, really key part of making certain that the program runs well, that the program is in the best position it can be and to help put the players in a position to succeed,” said IU Athletic Director and Men’s Basketball Manager Alum Scott Dolson.
IU basketball manager alums range from people like Dusty May to people like Lawrence Frank.
But regardless of where they are now in life, each manager has entailed a different journey with each team and coach that’s come through IU.
And for the current head student manager, Luke Macklin, his time as a manager began at the same time Mike Woodson began his tenur as the IU head coach.
“I was visiting IU, and had no interest in really coming here, I knew nothing about IU. My mom convinced me to come visit here and we were here the day after Coach Woodson was hired,” said Macklin.
Macklin and his family were staying at the Graduate Hotel, and at the same time they walked out of their hotel room for the day, so did Coach Woodson.
“My dad actually had dinner with him ten years prior at some event, and Coach Woodson actually remembered him somehow and stopped him and said ‘I recognize you from somewhere,’ and from there, Coach Woodson was like I’m hiring managers and if you’re coming to school here I want you to come to my office and we’ll talk for a couple minutes.”
And the rest is history.
Macklin graduated high school on June 6th. On June 7th, he drove to Bloomington and started practice on June 8th. He takes pride in his role and dedicates countless hours a week to the players and the program.
“If I was in a position that one of these players were in, I would need people to dedicate their lives in order to do what I need to do. If these guys wanna get shots they can’t just come in alone and get shots up, they need people to do what they need to do.”
So, Macklin and 19 other student managers do just that. From folding laundry, to mopping up the floors, and most importantly bringing positivity to the team, they dedicate 40 to 50 hours a week all to the team.
And while the hours can be long, the role is also very rewarding.
“It’s been very cool, traveling to all these other arenas, seeing what all these other college towns are like. And just seeing players grow is very cool. For example, Race Thompson, through the course of his 6 years here he really developed into one of the better players in the Big 10 so it’s been rewarding just to see how guys grow and see that our work in some capacity can help them get better.”
And of course, big moments with the team are among their fondest memories.
“Definitely celebrations in the locker room after big games. The first time we beat Purdue, just giving Rob a big hug, everyone was so excited since they hadn’t beaten them in a long time,” said fellow manager Caden Rautenkranz.
As the hidden gems of Indiana basketball, their role may go unnoticed to fans but their contributions to the players and the program will never be forgotten.
