Derek Raridon can’t stand the smell of sweat-drenched athletic tape. But somehow, after every North Central (Ill.) College home game, the used tape is strewn across the Cardinal’s locker room for him to pick up.

‘Ankle tape is the worst to clean up by far,’ Raridon said. ‘I tell my teammates to pick it up because someone has to. That someone is generally me, though.’

When Raridon isn’t playing on the court inside Merner Field House in Naperville, Ill., he’s cleaning the court, locker rooms and weight room at the facility. The 6-foot-6 forward for Division-III North Central works 20 work-study hours each week during the season as a member of the school’s custodial staff. 

On the floor, Raridon is a key part of North Central’s lineup. The forward is a two-time All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Second Team selection. He has averaged 13.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this season, and he became the 23rd player to score 1,000 points in school history in December.

But as a custodian, Raridon picks up trash after home games, buffs the floors before basketball and volleyball games, and — unfortunately for Raridon — collects what’s left behind in the home and away locker rooms. 

‘I’ve picked up some gross stuff,’ said Raridon, whose father, Todd Raridon, became the head coach of the Cardinals eight years ago.

And Derek Raridon isn’t the first in his family to hold such a unique position. His older brother, Mitch, was the first to help the Merner Field House custodial staff during their father’s first four years at North Central. 

Todd Raridon said his eldest son needed to find work to offset the costs of attending North Central.

‘There’s no such thing as a scholarship D-III athlete,’ Todd said. ‘Mitch started off cleaning the courts, and when Derek moved to Naperville, he started helping out, too.’

Raridon was a 16-year-old high school student when his father started coaching the team, and he was in need of a summer job. Five years and probably hundreds of discarded balls of sweaty ankle tape later, Raridon considers himself a grizzled veteran of the trade.

‘I’m pretty much a professional custodian,’ Raridon said, laughing. 

And being a ‘professional’ custodian means being ready to clean at any time, whether he’s on the clock or not. 

When the Cardinals returned from their holiday break to practice before a home game against Manchester (Ind.) College, they found the floors of the 81-year-old Merner Field House covered in dust. 

Much to the amusement of his teammates, Raridon broke out the broom and cleaned the court. And on a newly cleaned court, the Cardinals beat Manchester, 62-38.

While his teammates joke with Raridon about his job as a custodian, they have a much tougher time ridiculing his basketball skills.

Todd Raridon admits his son’s game is well ahead of what it used to be.

‘Derek used to stay behind the (3-point) arc because he was a little scrawny,’ Todd said. ‘He’s certainly changed since then.’

That change came about because of Raridon’s dual role as a player and custodian. After 40-hour work weeks during summer 2010, Raridon found himself sticking around the athletic facility.

He would work on his low-post moves. He’d practice his foul shots. And after a summer of weightlifting, Raridon wasn’t the same scrawny 3-point shooter his father once saw him as. 

‘I was right there (at Merner), so I felt like I’d miss out on an opportunity to improve,’ Raridon said. ‘There was no excuse to tell my dad that I didn’t stick around and work on my game.’

That change helped save the Cardinals season last year, when injuries decimated the North Central frontcourt. Todd Raridon knew his son could handle the forward position, and after a summer of hard work, Raridon proved him right.

Todd Raridon, the CCIW Co-Coach of the Year last season, can easily draw the connection between the time his son spends cleaning the court at Merner and his on-court performance. 

‘The place has become a second home to Derek,’ Todd Raridon said. ‘He’d really do anything to improve as a player.’

That improvement may come at the cost of picking up sweaty ankle tape, but if it helps his level of play and his team, Raridon is willing to keep cleaning.

‘It’s actually fun to be a janitor,’ Raridon said. ‘And being in the gym is a nice perk, too.’

Games of the week

Georgia Tech 79, No. 15 Virginia 77

Thursday, 8 p.m.

The Cavaliers could be due for a letdown after coming so close against Duke. Glen Rice Jr. and company could take advantage here for a signature Atlantic Coast Conference win on Thursday night. 

No. 1 Syracuse 84, Notre Dame 66

Saturday, 6 p.m.

Notre Dame is a team that sorely needs some consistent scoring. Expect Syracuse to stick to what it does best: score in transition and play strong zone defense for another win.

No. 3 Baylor 89, No. 5 Missouri 74

Saturday, 2 p.m.

Marcus Denmon isn’t enough for Missouri to give the Bears a loss here. Baylor is among the deepest teams in the nation, and even if it gets tripped up by Kansas, that’s not a testament to its talent. Perry Jones III, Quincy Miller and Quincy Acy should carry their team in this game. 

Tennessee 84, No. 13 Connecticut 81

Saturday, 4 p.m.

UConn’s inconsistency trips the Huskies up again. But don’t think this will be an easy game for the Volunteers. Tennessee should lean on the experience they gained by taking Kentucky to the brink of an upset to actually pull one off here. 

No. 21 Marquette 77, Providence 66

Darius Johnson-Odom, Jae Crowder and the rest of the Golden Eagles should be too much for the Friars to handle. And although head coach Ed Cooley has his team playing well, it seems the Friars always play well enough to lose. Buzz Williams won’t let his team come out flat against an inferior opponent. 

nctoney@syr.edu

Published on January 16, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Nick: nctoney@syr.edu | @nicktoneytweets