The tale behind the towel: ‘Little brother’ Austin Cox cleans up where Cats leave off

Austin Cox shines when all eyes are elsewhere.

When Perry Stevenson powered over a player in the lane against South Carolina on Jan. 31, he sent a Gamecock shot sailing through the air, directly into the hands of Jodie Meeks. All eyes turned to the other end as Meeks sprinted down the court to set up a play.

Whenever the action shifts from one end of the Rupp Arena court to another, the 15-year-old dives onto the floor, passionately scrubbing up each bead of sweat left by run-over bodies and attempted ball saves.

“I know it’s a silly job, but I need to work hard at it,” Austin said. “I feel like the least I can do is work hard since I get to do so much with the team.”

Austin, the son of assistant men’s basketball coach Jeremy Cox, is affectionately known as “the towel boy.” On many occasions, Austin’s vigorous sweat-wiping method has been met with cheers and chants of his name, mostly from the student section.

“(The cheering) is kind of embarrassing sometimes,” Austin said. “But it’s cool, don’t get me wrong.”

His duties during practice are comparable to that of a manager — feeding balls to the players during drills and handing out towels, water and anything else the team or coaches may need.

To the team, he’s part of the family. The bond between Austin and the Cats was evident when he and former star Ramel Bradley would perform their ritual handshake and salute after a big win.

“All of the players, since day one, have treated me like a little brother. They’ve taken me in and they knock me around sometimes,” Austin said. “They’re big brothers to me. All of them.”

While he admits to not having a favorite player, Austin — “Beans” to the team — is closest with junior Matt Scherbenske. Austin and Scherbenske spend a lot of time together shooting basketball, talking about the Heisman trophy and playing video games like “NCAA Football 09.”

Austin’s football interest extends beyond video games. He was part of a Beaumont Middle School squad that won the Lexington city championship, and he is currently a defensive tackle on Paul Laurence Dunbar’s football team.

Juggling school and basketball activities is a challenge for Austin. He realizes school is his top priority, and his parents make it necessary that his homework is finished before he can travel with the team.

Family is something UK head coach Billy Gillispie has emphasized since he and Austin first met three years ago in College Station, Texas. Jeremy Cox was a member of Gillispie’s staff at Texas A&M, and Austin played the same manager-like role for the Aggies. If it wasn’t for shared time with the team, Austin realizes he would rarely see his dad because of team traveling and recruiting trips.

“Coaches’ families sacrifice greatly every year, but in our case, basketball allows (Austin and I) to have a very unique experience and bond,” Jeremy said.

Being in Austin’s position comes with the obvious perks, but he doesn’t let that go to his head.

“I’m one out of hundreds of thousands of kids that gets to be on the court, hang out with the players and roam freely around Rupp like it’s nothing,” Austin said. “I’m really fortunate.”