The “AJ Redd, AJ Redd” chants rained down from the Orange Krush during the waning minutes of Illinois’ Feb. 4 blowout against Northwestern at State Farm Center. With just over two minutes remaining, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood made the crowd’s night, motioning for the senior guard to head to the scorer’s table. The chants of Redd’s name turned into roaring cheers as he got up off the bench, took off his shooting shirt and checked into the game.

“Obviously, I don’t see the court as much as some of my teammates, but just to hear the love that I receive from the fans here in Champaign, the Illinois fan base — it’s a feeling that I can’t describe,” Redd said. “And just to know that my hard work isn’t going unnoticed and people are supporting me. It means a lot.”

Although he now dons the iconic orange-and-blue jersey, Redd did not start at Illinois as a player. Instead, his story starts behind the scenes at Ubben Basketball Complex.

A star at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, Redd spent four years on its varsity team and became the No. 4 all-time leading scorer (1,109 points) and career leader in rebounds, assists and steals. Even with all his high school success, Redd made the decision to come to Champaign in 2022 without any indication that he would play for the Illini. 

“I had a connection with (former Illini assistant) coach Tim Anderson, who was here for my first couple years, from Chicago,” Redd said. “I told him I wanted to come here as a manager and just get my foot in the door with hopes of eventually being on the team. And so, it worked out pretty quickly in the first couple months, which I wasn’t expecting.” 

Doing the little things and the grunt work didn’t go unnoticed. They were the first signs that Redd would be more than just an end-of-the-bench addition when he was added to the roster as a walk-on after one semester as a manager — he would be a culture builder.

“His unselfishness was, ‘Okay, let me do let me do the laundry,’” Underwood said. “‘Let me do whatever it takes. Let me pack the bags. Let me participate in practice. Let me be a rebounder.’ The 4:30 a.m.’s with Terrence Shannon Jr. – that’s unselfishness. That’s putting everybody and everything above you.”

Fast forward four years, and Redd has played in 34 games and counting for the Illini, serving as a sign of continuity as new players come and go every year. 

“I’ve been able to become a really good leader the past couple years, you know, being here for four years and being one of the older guys on the team who’s been in this program for a while,” Redd said. “Trying to pass our culture down the line has been a big part of what I’ve been able to do here.”

Coming up on his final home game in front of friends and family, Redd can say something that most others cannot: he’s battled future NBA players in practice, won a Big Ten tournament championship and been to an Elite Eight. That’s one heck of a resume for someone who was not even on the roster when he stepped on campus.

Throughout all of the fun times he’s been a part of, Redd has still been grinding. Being a walk-on is not easy for everyone because the role is not glamorous. However, Redd approached every day with the same mentality, whether he saw the court or not. 

“I always think about the impact that I want to have,” Redd said. “What are people going to say about me when I leave this program? For me, I try and come in every day with a positive mindset. I try and practice as hard as I can. I try and make my teammates better and just be a guy that people want to be around.”

Despite Redd experiencing his own “Last Dance” right now and knowing that he will step away from basketball post-grad, he’s at peace. Hoops have been a constant in Redd’s life, but knowing that he’s gotten as much from the game as he possibly can is allowing him to step away fulfilled.

Basketball may be over after this season, but the memories are forever.

“As I look back on my journey, just how hard I’ve worked and how much I’ve put into this game, it’s a stopping point where I’m content with just my journey and the successes that I’ve been able to have playing basketball,” Redd said. “Being able to play at a level like this has been a dream come true for me. We’ve been winning, and so it’s always fun when you’re winning and you have championships and banners to show for all the work you’ve put in. I’ve had a hell of a time here at Illinois, and I’ve met some great people over the years, some bonds I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

While putting his all into Illinois basketball, Redd has also established himself as a “top-flight student”  in Underwood’s words, majoring in finance in the Gies College of Business. The namesake of the business school, University alum Larry Gies, is also a mainstay around its athletic programs. He’s often courtside at basketball games, and recently, his name was added to Gies Memorial Stadium following a $100 million donation to the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. 

The close relationship Gies has built with the athletic department and the people in it paid off for Redd. Over time, he built a connection with Gies, and ultimately, he landed a coveted summer internship working at a major private equity firm owned by the Illinois donor.

“I originally met (Gies) in the weight room before practice one day,” Redd said. “And him and (strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher) are pretty tight. And coach Fletch paired me up with Larry before one practice, and so I became pretty cool with him. He invited me to work for his company this past summer, Madison Industries in Chicago, and so it went really well. It was nice for me to get into that space and see what it’s like to be in a professional workplace.”

Redd will continue working full-time as a financial analyst for Madison Industries this fall, following his graduation from Illinois. It’s a new journey for the Chicago native, but one he’s looking forward to growing from, just as he did from his basketball journey in Champaign.

“I’ll be sitting on his medical division with a couple guys on his team,” Redd said. “So, I’m excited to get in there and really just learn, you know, learn as much as I can.”

Whatever Redd does, he will have the full support of Illinois. The program has produced many NBA stars and pros over the years, but everyone who walks through the door has a home there, no matter if sports are a part of their future beyond college. 

Underwood wants the best for his players — seeing young men succeed is part of why he got into the job. With him being around Redd for so many years and seeing the kind of person he is, Underwood’s confident that Redd will continue to make his mark far beyond the basketball court.

“Probably the next practice facility or the next renovation will be the AJ Redd whatever,” Underwood said, joking with the press. “You don’t doubt that that’s going to happen with him. He’s just too smart, and you know what he stands for. So success is going to find all these guys.”

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