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“It’s all about energy”: Pitt men’s basketball managers deliver for the program

Credit and appreciation are unequally distributed rewards. The lead singer, star actor or quarterback often earns the lion’s share. There are always necessary faces unshown but needed to put those stars in a position to succeed. Working behind the scenes is a role the applause is never directed at — but those in the shadows know in their hearts some of it should be.

Like any production, Pitt men’s basketball has a backstage crew of its own, and the basketball managers do everything possible to set the team up for success.

Emmanuel Lorenzo, a sophomore majoring in nursing, is one of them.

“I always wanted to be a part of the athletics scene,” Lorenzo said. “I played soccer in high school, but I’ve always been a big fan of basketball. This is ACC basketball. People don’t grasp the idea of how serious that is. [Pitt men’s basketball head coach] Capel has literally coached NBA players. It’s a very serious scene I wanted to be a part of.”

No matter the hour or weather, Lorenzo and his fellow managers are on call ready to do the work so the players don’t have to.

“After an away game, the team comes back the same day,” Lorenzo said. “After the Florida State game — a 9 p.m. game — they got back at 3:30, almost 4 a.m., and I had to be there to unload the bus. Good thing I didn’t have class that morning.”

Sometimes the work isn’t glamorous, like unloading a bus so late that even El Jefe’s is closed. But Lorenzo loves it and recognizes the perks.

“The older guys get some scholarship money,” Lorenzo said. “I got to go to Cleveland [for the scrimmage against Cincinnati], I think I’m going to Syracuse. You get to go on all these trips to other schools and get the same perks as the players — gear, food, accommodations, everything. And how often are you going to meet Aaron Donald, J. Cole, Damar Hamlin and even Capel? When you’re involved in that environment, you think, ‘I need to succeed, so I can be on their level almost.’”

It’s easy to get distracted living the exciting life of a manager. Meeting celebrities, traveling to new places and living the life of an ACC athlete without ever logging any minutes could make any student lose sight of why they’re here. But Lorenzo sees it as an additional opportunity.

“The best thing it gives me is the experience in general,” Lorenzo said. “I’m in nursing. Nursing requires a high demand of effort, and you have to put a lot of time into it. For a lot of the people in nursing, it’s all they do because it’s all they have time for. I refuse to hold myself to that. I want my college experience to be unique compared to others.”

Lorenzo and the managers wear many hats. Sometimes, they act as valet parking attendants, shuffling players’ cars around. After games, the managers put on a metaphorical chef’s hat and deliver food to the players and coaches. On some days, Lorenzo and the managers act as security guards, protecting the Panthers’ most valuable possession — their playbook.

“On days we’re shooting around, like a couple hours before the game, we make sure no one is in the building, watching us play, or practice,” Lorenzo said. “We make sure no one is stealing our plays.”

“People think we just show up to the games and rebound,” Lorenzo said. “We take part in drills, cut up film, break down the plays, a lot of setting up [for practice], make the freshman mop. We do all the behind-the-scenes. Anything the players shouldn’t have to do, we do.”

Outside of school, Lorenzo also holds a job and is in the Theta Chi fraternity. No matter what, he still has the number one resource Capel and his Panthers need — energy.

Lorenzo learned the hard way how dire that need is. Against Cincinnati, Lorenzo was stretched out on the bench at halftime with Capel across the court. Unknown to Lorenzo, the cameras were rolling. When Capel went to review the film, he caught Lorenzo “chilling a little too much.”

“Capel said, ‘We can’t let that happen.’ We have to keep that energy up. All day every day. This is ACC basketball,” Lorenzo said.

Not everyone, especially college students, has that amount of energy to give. But the Panthers need it. 

Now that Pitt is in the midst of a four-game losing streak, the first since Pitt lost their final five games to end the 2021-22 season, an injection of energy could be the prescription to get back on track. Lorenzo is the man for the job, but he can credit his luck that he is.

“I was at a PIKE tailgate my [first] year,” Lorenzo said. “I met this dude, six-five or six-six, with a Polo on and it said ‘Pitt Basketball.’ I asked him, “Are you on the team?” He said, ‘Nah, I’m not, I’m a manager.’ I was going to be a camera guy for the football team, but it didn’t work out, and next thing I know I met this dude. I got his contact and he told his boss. Out of pure luck, I got the job.”

Since then, Lorenzo’s passion for Pitt men’s basketball is as strong as ever. He’s ridden the same emotional rollercoaster the players, coaches and fans do. 

“Sometimes it’s a bit awkward after a loss,” Lorenzo said. “Everybody’s quiet. And I’m upset too because I’m putting in all this work. People just think that I’m there and just doing my job. But no, I’m passionate about it. I’m putting in work.”

Although Lorenzo and the other managers don’t get a chance to step on the court, Lorenzo believes “that managers can make a difference.”

Just learning what makes a men’s basketball manager is tiring. But they can’t ever tire. Not everyone would love or even want to wear Lorenzo’s shoes. The key is to look around and put a pair on.

“Always take advantage of the opportunities that are given to you,” Lorenzo said. “I took advantage of this opportunity, and it’s been the best thing ever. Don’t just settle for a boring lifestyle, and appreciate the opportunities that are given to you. Every opportunity counts. Three years ago, I never thought I’d be in this situation.”

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