Photo by: Matt Woolverton
BU Athletics Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Men’s Basketball Locker Room
January 17, 2025 | Men's Basketball
BOSTON – The Boston University Department of Athletics recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly completed men's basketball locker room within the Case Center.
Made possible by the generous gifts of several donors, the Ike Brown Basketball Locker Room more than doubles the size of the original decades-old locker room from 1,267 square feet to 2,636 square feet and also includes the installation of Bluetooth audio and multiple large TV screens.
"The unveiling was truly a proud day for Boston University men's basketball," said director of athletics Drew Marrochello. "Thanks to remarkable support from both university administration and friends of the program, this project became a reality. A locker room should be 'home' for a team – a place of comfort and commune where team camaraderie is built and culture is enhanced. We look forward to the Ike Brown Basketball Locker Room being exactly that for our student-athletes and coaching staff."
"This project has been a long journey, and I want to thank Drew, [director of athletics development] Kyle Shawgo and Coach Joe Jones for showing me the right path on what we needed to do to get this done," said Brown (Questrom'76). "The program deserves this new space, and the players deserve the new space. We feel very fortunate we have the means to help in this way. Hopefully this will be a great recruiting tool in the future and the guys will be able to enjoy all of the amenities."
Adding to the construction is the separate Todd & Anne Klipp Video Room, which will be utilized by both men's and women's basketball teams. The room features three rows of cushioned and branded theater-style seating along with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment to support film breakdown.
With Perkins&Will serving as architect and Commodore Builders as the contractor, the dressing room area features 18 Hollman lockers, which are boosted by a lockable internal area that includes power outlets for phone charging. A 75" TV is enclosed behind sliding BU branded doors, and the ceiling lighting features a custom court design.
Made possible by the generosity of Steve and Janice Joy, a recovery room includes another 75" TV and, more importantly, a pocket door that when closed will provide a sound barrier from outside noises to allow for quiet recovery and relaxation. The lounge area includes a DreamSeat sectional, a convertible ping pong/dining table and a pair of 86" TVs, while the nutrition area has bistro-style tables for studying and eating along with space for snack and meal prep.
"I'd like to thank all the people involved in making this happen, our administration and the donors," said head coach Joe Jones. "It would not happen without the support and generosity of so many people. I'm so happy for our players to have a space like this.
"This will have a big impact on the camaraderie of our team, to be able to go in there and play video games and ping pong, watch movies, recover, eat and study," he added. "They can pretty much do anything in a cool gathering space that provides them an opportunity to spend substantive time together. That's really important when you're trying to build a culture and team. For recruiting purposes, too, this shows a commitment that we have to excellence here in athletics and reinforces the things I talk to parents about in terms of the education and experiences their sons are going to have here."
"The benefits of being on a city campus are obvious and multiple, but there are certainly challenges regarding facility construction and renovation," said Marrochello. "We are incredibly grateful for the vision and partnership from all involved to make this possible."
Made possible by the generous gifts of several donors, the Ike Brown Basketball Locker Room more than doubles the size of the original decades-old locker room from 1,267 square feet to 2,636 square feet and also includes the installation of Bluetooth audio and multiple large TV screens.
"The unveiling was truly a proud day for Boston University men's basketball," said director of athletics Drew Marrochello. "Thanks to remarkable support from both university administration and friends of the program, this project became a reality. A locker room should be 'home' for a team – a place of comfort and commune where team camaraderie is built and culture is enhanced. We look forward to the Ike Brown Basketball Locker Room being exactly that for our student-athletes and coaching staff."
"This project has been a long journey, and I want to thank Drew, [director of athletics development] Kyle Shawgo and Coach Joe Jones for showing me the right path on what we needed to do to get this done," said Brown (Questrom'76). "The program deserves this new space, and the players deserve the new space. We feel very fortunate we have the means to help in this way. Hopefully this will be a great recruiting tool in the future and the guys will be able to enjoy all of the amenities."
Adding to the construction is the separate Todd & Anne Klipp Video Room, which will be utilized by both men's and women's basketball teams. The room features three rows of cushioned and branded theater-style seating along with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment to support film breakdown.
With Perkins&Will serving as architect and Commodore Builders as the contractor, the dressing room area features 18 Hollman lockers, which are boosted by a lockable internal area that includes power outlets for phone charging. A 75" TV is enclosed behind sliding BU branded doors, and the ceiling lighting features a custom court design.
Made possible by the generosity of Steve and Janice Joy, a recovery room includes another 75" TV and, more importantly, a pocket door that when closed will provide a sound barrier from outside noises to allow for quiet recovery and relaxation. The lounge area includes a DreamSeat sectional, a convertible ping pong/dining table and a pair of 86" TVs, while the nutrition area has bistro-style tables for studying and eating along with space for snack and meal prep.
"I'd like to thank all the people involved in making this happen, our administration and the donors," said head coach Joe Jones. "It would not happen without the support and generosity of so many people. I'm so happy for our players to have a space like this.
"This will have a big impact on the camaraderie of our team, to be able to go in there and play video games and ping pong, watch movies, recover, eat and study," he added. "They can pretty much do anything in a cool gathering space that provides them an opportunity to spend substantive time together. That's really important when you're trying to build a culture and team. For recruiting purposes, too, this shows a commitment that we have to excellence here in athletics and reinforces the things I talk to parents about in terms of the education and experiences their sons are going to have here."
"The benefits of being on a city campus are obvious and multiple, but there are certainly challenges regarding facility construction and renovation," said Marrochello. "We are incredibly grateful for the vision and partnership from all involved to make this possible."
Highlights: Men's Basketball vs. Merrimack (11/15/25)
Saturday, November 15
Highlights: Men's Basketball vs. Brown (11/12/25)
Thursday, November 13
BU Athletics: 2024-25 Highlights
Monday, May 19
2024-25 Scarlet & White Honors: BU Student-Athlete Awards
Tuesday, April 22
