MINNEAPOLIS — When Austin grad Nate Schwab was playing at Williams Arena in the Class AAA boys basketball state quarterfinals in 2012, he never knew he would become quite familiar with the Gophers’ playing floor over the next few years of his life.

As fate would have it, Schwab ended up going to school at the University of Minnesota and within a few months of getting to college he started missing basketball — a lot. Schwab looked into the possibility of being a student manager with the Gopher men’s basketball team, and after an assistant coach put in a good word for him, he was able to land a spot with the team. Now a senior, Schwab is in his third year as a manager with the Gophers and he’s learned a lot about Division I basketball.

“The time commitment it takes for these guys, it’s like a full time job,” Schwab said. “These guys are constantly at study halls, a team dinner, watching film or practice, or working by themselves.”

Schwab also stays pretty busy as he helps prepare practice and game day operations, he helps cut film and he he helps keep players hydrated on game nights. The position of manager has allowed Schwab to travel with the team around the Big Ten and he’s gotten to know some of the players and coaches, but it’s also caused him to sacrifice part of the usual college experience.

“It’s tough to find a balance between working with this and school. I’ve got to cut out some social time,” Schwab said. “It’s all part of the experience and it’s an experience that not too many people get to be a part of.”

Schwab’s highlights as manager have included the Gophers winning the NIT when he was a sophomore, Minnesota’s comeback win over Michigan State when they were down seven with 17 seconds left, and he’s loved being a part of the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry.

Schwab knows he’s lucky to be a manager as there are just nine of them and the team gets e-mails every day from students who want to be a manager.

“It’s such a competitive job to get,” he said. “I get to see how things work on the inside and how everyone works as a team. It’s cool to see how everything comes together.”

Schwab said he likes keeping track of former Gopher coaches and players. Schwab remembers former Gopher Maurice Walker going from a 300-pound player to a 250-pound player who is now playing professionally in Italy.

Schwab will graduate from the U of M with a major in Ag Industries and Marketing and a minor in sales and promotion in the Spring of 2016. Schwab is now considering giving coaching a shot after college, whether it be helping out with a high school team or pursuing it at the college level.

“I never had interest before, but now it’s intriguing to think about going into coaching,” Schwab said. “It’s something that’s crossed my mind with the knowledge I’ve gained from the time I’ve spent here.”

Schwab misses his days practicing and playing with the Austin Packers, but he still keeps up with some of his old teammates when he can. Unfortunately for Schwab, his schedule only allows him to get back to Austin ten days per year.

Schwab is still able to get back on the basketball court. Sometimes he is able to practice with the Gophers in team drills, he plays intramural basketball at the U of M, and he also participates in the Big Ten Manager League, which includes managers playing against each other.

Schwab gets to play against managers, grad assistants and video coordinators on Big Ten courts and sometimes he finds himself playing against former Division I players or former pro players.

“It’s kind of cool to be able to play against some guys who have played at a high level,” Schwab said. “It’s also fun to play on some of these Big Ten floors.”