A quick pan over the Illini bench brings one misfit character into view. He looks too young to be a coach, but players don’t wear suits.

Head basketball manager Matt McCumber has spent four years as part of the Illini program. Players in dire need look to “MoCo” for everything from jerseys to water bottles; even the managers can’t escape the name game. McCumber also steps up to the plate when coaches need someone to keep stats and scores.

“It’s a tough job and it’s a thankless job,” head coach Bruce Weber said. “Matt was the senior leader of the group of managers. We have different roles with the players, different roles with the coaches, and he grew into his role and became part of the family.”

As the head manager, McCumber had the privilege of being part of 37-2 Illini team. But it wasn’t a free ride into history.

He had a full schedule during the year, sometimes spending 50 hours a week in the office at Ubben.

“I enjoyed my job with the team, so for me it didn’t feel like work,” McCumber said. “I have been with the team since I got to school here, so I watched the guys grow up and just loved the experience. But I’m not saying it wasn’t hard sometimes.”

McCumber’s job came with a lot of stress; if it wasn’t done on time, the team could enter the locker room before a game and not have jerseys to wear. But McCumber’s job didn’t stop at wardrobe management.

“He was really good friends with the players,” Weber said. “Us coaches talk a lot about how maybe what’s said in the locker room is more important than what the coaches say and I know that Matt would always have the right thing to say. Whether it’s with the players, managers or whatever and be a positive influence for our team.”

The players appreciate the hard work, too. The unselfish team wasn’t averse to noticing the program’s non-athletes working just as hard as the athletes for its success.

“When we didn’t have any socks or whatever on the road, any little problem we had he would take care of it for us,” guard Calvin Brock said. “If we didn’t have anything to eat, he would run up to McDonald’s so we could put something in our stomachs and have a great practice.

“He was just an overall-helpful person.”

McCumber is graduating from Illinois and is unsure of what he will be doing next year. With aspirations of one day getting a coaching job, he plans on staying attached to Illinois. In the meantime, he has left his mark on Illini basketball.