Biography
By Jim Hague
When De’Vion Manning was an eighth grader, he attended the Scarlet Raider basketball camp at the Golden Dome on the campus of Rutgers-Newark, a camp run by R-N men’s basketball coach Joe Loughran.
“It’s kind of funny and ironic,” said Manning, now a senior on the men’s basketball team at Rutgers-Newark. “I never thought back then that I would eventually come here to school.”
Manning attended the summer camp, along with his cousin, current University of Pittsburgh standout Ashton Gibbs.
“It was the first time I got to know Coach Loughran,” Manning said. “I thought he was pretty cool.”
“I was able to talk to De’Vion’s mother and father back then and we developed an early relationship,” Loughran said. “I was able to watch him grow up. I remember Jermont Horton (a former R-N standout) was working the camp that summer, saw De’Vion and said, `That kid’s not half bad. Maybe he might be able to play for you.’”
It was a novel approach, because Loughran never had a former camper come back and play for him at R-N.
But Loughran kept tabs on his former camper Manning, as he went on to play at nearby St. Benedict’s Prep for respected head coach Dan Hurley.
“I recruited De’Vion when he was at St. Benedict’s, but like a lot of kids, he really wanted to go away,” Loughran said. “But when the dust settled, he came here. It’s all part of a long lasting relationship.”
Now, as Manning is in the midst of his senior season with the Scarlet Raiders, the 5-10 guard had to make a major sacrifice for the good of the team.
“We have a lot of competition at the guard position,” Loughran said. “With that, De’Vion’s minutes have decreased. I told him early on that he was going to have to compete for minutes and he still is. It was clearly spelled out for him, that his minutes might be up and down. But the season is long and if he came to practice and did well, he would get a chance to play. If there was an injury or two, his role would be increased. He just had to be patient with the process. Of course, everyone wants to start and play, but De’Vion was up for the challenge.”
“It never felt like I was taking a backseat,” Manning said. “I know some freshmen came in and were ready to play. I did have to make a little bit of a sacrifice for them, being a senior. But I’m more about winning than anything else. I didn’t have a problem with making the sacrifice.”
So while Manning started 14 games a year ago as a junior, he found himself as a bench player as a senior. Not a lot of players would have handled that easily.
“I know we’re all getting about the same amount of playing time,” Manning said. “It’s all about who is playing the best at a certain time and who is producing. I think the competition in practice is good, because it’s making everyone better. Any given day, it could be my turn. So that’s why in practice, we go after each other pretty hard.”
Loughran said that the practice wars between the members of the Scarlet Raiders’ deep backcourt have made for some interesting moments.
“We’ve had some pretty good battles,” Loughran said. “There have been some heads banging. But I think it all helps when they compete hard in practice. They push each other and as long as we emphasize that everyone benefits when we go hard, then it’s okay.”
Manning’s patience paid off recently, when he exploded for 20 points in an 86-65 win over York, a game where Manning shot 8-of-10 from the floor.
“I didn’t even know I had 20, until we got on the bus to go home,” Manning said. “I’m not one to grab the stat sheet. I don’t think anyone on the team is. I think we’re all comfortable with the idea that we can do some pretty good things this year.”
Right now, the Scarlet Raiders are in the middle of a five-game winning streak.
Loughran likes what Manning brings to the team.
“First of all, he just enjoys playing the game,” Loughran said. “He has such enthusiasm. He also has a very good basketball IQ. He’s a bright kid and he can play multiple positions. I also know what to expect from him because of his experience. He’s also good defensively and when he gets his hand on the ball, he can make a steal and go in for a layup. He goes to the basket well and can also hit the three (point shot, where Manning has connected on 10-of-17 shots). When he keeps things simple, good things will happen.”
Manning enjoys being a diverse player.
“I love that,” Manning said. “I think that’s another aspect of my game that comes from Coach Hurley. He always told me that I better be ready to play post defense against someone who was bigger than me. I can play the point, the two (shooting guard) or the three (small forward). I like the physical challenges. I try to outsmart the next guy and just play the game.”
Manning is part of a bit of a family affair on the Scarlet Raiders. His stepbrother is senior forward Ryan Gillens.
“It’s cool for me to play with my brother, keeping it all in the family,” Manning said.
It’s that family connection that has motivated Manning to major in criminal justice at Rutgers-Newark. His mother, Dana Koontz, is a long-time police officer in Irvington and his father, Mike Gillens, is a Newark police officer.
“I’ve been around it for so long, so studying criminal justice seemed so natural,” Manning said. “It’s just the family interest. If I don’t go to law school, I’ll try federal law enforcement.”
So for now, Manning is comfortable with his role coming off the bench.
“I like being the one who can bring the intensity and the fire,” Manning said. “It’s just the way I play.”
