When people think about successful teams, they often focus on star players, coaches, and highlight-reel plays. However, much of what makes a team successful happens behind the scenes. Setting up drills, washing jerseys, and managing statistics cannot be done alone. Most importantly, bringing energy regardless of circumstance separates a good team from a great one. These are the responsibilities of a team manager. Though they don’t suit up on game days, they are the glue that holds a team together.

 Tonight, senior team manager Evan Gitlin will take the court for the Raiders in their matchup against Archbishop Carroll. Gitlin, who has served as a team manager for the past three seasons, has an immense passion for the program and a deep love for Gulliver Basketball.

While finally being able to play is exciting, the game represents something much more for Gitlin and the basketball program. Former football and basketball player D’Sean Perry’s jersey will be unretired for the matchup.

On Nov. 13 2022, three University of Virginia football players were killed in a shooting on a charter bus returning from a field trip in Charlottesville. The victims were Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry. Perry, a member of the Class of 2019, was a pillar of the community. Like Gitlin, he treated the community as something bigger than himself  and spread positivity wherever he went.

“D’Sean was a beautiful soul, who I, among many, had the privilege of meeting,” head coach Earl Sims said shortly after the shooting. “I echo the sentiments of several of my colleagues when I say that D’Sean was a delightful,

respectful, hardworking person who was one of the best overall young men our communities had to offer.”

The boys football, soccer and lacrosse locker room has been named in Perry’s honor, and his No. 10 jersey was officially retired for the football and basketball programs after the 2023–24 season. The decision to un-retire the number for this game was a clear one, according to head basketball coach Hossam Marquez.

“Un-retiring D’Sean’s number was about legacy, responsibility and trust,” Marquez said. “That jersey represents leadership, pride and a standard that goes beyond the floor. Evan has earned the right to wear it because he’s been so much more than a team manager — he’s been a constant presence, a leader in his own way and someone who has poured his heart into this program every single day.”