Men’s basketball manager is the backbone to every game day

FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State men’s basketball team is in the midst of a gambling allegation storm, but the light shines on basketball head manager Gage Vickers.

Vickers is in his fourth season with the basketball team. He began his journey as a volunteer manager and quickly moved his way up the ladder.

“So, thankfully, after my first year here, they saw that I put in a lot of hard work, so they hired me in the equipment staff as well, so now I am an associate equipment manager,” Vickers said.

Getting a higher position meant more responsibility for Vickers.

He spends an hour before game time in the equipment room washing jerseys, getting athletes’ shoes ready and disinfecting gear to ensure that athletes have a seamless game day.

When the Save Mart Center doors open and tip-off begins, Vickers is tasked with setting out chairs during timeouts and handing out statistical sheets to the coaching staff.

The impact Vickers has on the players also translates to the coaching staff.

“Basically, he’s been like my, and it’s crazy to say this because he’s younger than me, but like my mentor and like the person that helping me out and trying to figure things out around here at Fresno State and the men’s basketball team,” director of player development Elijah Hill said.

Being a manager is nothing short of busy. You have to travel, attend practices and rebound during shooting time while still being a student at Fresno State.

“It can be hard,” Vickers said. “You try and balance equipment, managers, my self-managing and then you try and balance school with that. It’s a lot of things to balance, and it’s hard, especially going on the road.”

Vickers and the rest of the managers are no strangers to a busy schedule. Players and coaches say they are the backbone of the Fresno State men’s basketball team, putting in countless hours to ensure athletes and coaches are ready for game day.