Manager Kyle Wakefield wants to 'impact winning' with his passion for Ole Miss basketball

Chris Beard and the rest of the Ole Miss men’s basketball program experiences the emotions of manager Kyle Wakefield and the energy he brings.

On Tuesday the rest of the world got to experience Wakefield’s passion for Ole Miss basketball and saw it spill onto the court, literally, for everyone to see. What is considered a routine in-game moment for Wakefield when ran over to the courtside seating area to clean up a spilled drink became a worldwide viral sensation by the end of the night.

The media requests were rolling in by Wednesday morning, according to Beard. Even ESPN wanted to have Wakefield speak with Scott Van Pelt.

Buzz was aplenty for Ole Miss defeating Mississippi State in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a Rebels basketball game, setting a SJB Pavilion attendance record in process, but there seemed to be more buzz for Wakefield.

Every home game Wakefield mans one end of the court and is charged with using the floor mop to clean any wet spots or sweat that comes off throughout the 40-minute span. But when Wakefield performs the duties asked of him it creates a whole experience and atmosphere that raises the energy level up a notch.

A crescendo rises throughout the Ole Miss students sitting in ‘Club Red’ when Wakefield takes the floor with his mop in hand.

“The referee, he asked me to come over and clean up the spot, but I thought it was just sweat spot,” Wakefield said on Thursday when speaking with the local media. “So normally I would get that with the mop but as soon as I got over there I was like, ‘I better go get these towels and really get the job done.’ I just went over and grabbed the towels and I just had to wipe the spot off as quick as possible so we could get the game back on track and impact the win.”

Like/RT if you love Kyle 🫶#HottyToddy x #BuildTheCulture pic.twitter.com/7TlswNBgkB

— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 31, 2024

For Wakefield that is his only focus. To do the job that is asked of him but ensure he is impacting Ole Miss and the game in a positive manner, helping secure a victory however he needs to.

Once Wakefield got up from cleaning the floor the record crowd erupted for him and continued to as he ran back to his seat along the baseline.

“I’m not being out there just for me. I’m being out there for my whole entire organization,” Wakefield said. “My coaches, players, other student managers. My goal is to just open up the door for other student managers besides myself.”

This season is Wakefield’s fourth with Ole Miss after being brought onto the team by Kermit Davis in 2020.

When Beard was hired 11 months ago he was already familiar with Wakefield and his family. Wakefield’s older brother, Cole, was on Beard’s staff at Texas Tech. So keeping Kyle on his staff was something of a no-brainer for Beard, who was aware of the character being kept in the program.

“You just know. Special guy right there,” Beard said of Wakefield. “Just got kind of the ‘IT’ factor. People talk a lot about culture and stuff. I mean, that’s what we’re trying to do here. When we get players that perform like he performs then we’ll be ready to roll.”

Wakefield’s presence during games was felt way before Tuesday night’s viral moment.

During periods of the game when he is not needed to dry up any wet spots on the court he is sitting in his usual chair pumping up the crowd. Sometimes his energy level rivals that of the spirit teams and at times rises above theirs.

Just like the players have their pre-game warm up routines and rituals, so does Wakefield. He can be seen 90 minutes before tip off and all throughout pregame stretching and getting limber. Hours before all that he makes sure to sit in the same seat at the same table for pre-game meals all the way down to the same food and same drink.

“I’ve always had a pre-game ritual that followed for four years,” Wakefield said. “It just seems to work for me every time and it just really impacts winning and that’s what I’m here to do. I really want to win and I want to be a part of a winning organization.”

Beard is wanting to create that home-court advantage and that winning environment inside the Pavilion for Ole Miss. Wakefield is part of that environment.

When he is pumping up the crowd he is trying to keep them invested in the game but they are also doing the same for him in return.

“Honestly, I really feed off of them,” Wakefield said. “The more they feed me the more I bring and I’m already so intense as it is. It was just an amazing feeling going out there. Just being out there for the players and even the players feed off of my energy.”

Wakefield gets another opportunity to pump up the Ole Miss students and fans with his passion bucket that is overflowing on Saturday when No. 16 Auburn comes to Oxford.