A recent John Carroll graduate is going pro.

Immanuel Quickley graduated from JC in 2018 where he then went on to play D1 college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Immanuel was drafted with the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft and was then traded to the New York Knicks on November 20, 2020. On November 28, Immanuel signed with the Knicks.
Ms. Nitrease Quickley, the proud mother of star Immanuel, explained that “Immanuel belongs to all of us and we couldn’t be prouder.”
When remarking on Draft Night she said, “I still can’t believe it. I find myself re-watching little clips and viewing photos I took with my phone during Draft Night. We haven’t stopped smiling yet.”
She commented that “when Immanuel was in the fifth grade, he said he wanted to be in the NBA or be an eye doctor. The teacher in me said within myself, you better be an eye doctor because not very many people make it to the NBA. I never once killed his dream or told him he could not do it. I often reminded him of the importance of having a ‘Plan B’ just in case. He is living proof that if you continue to work extra hard and never give up, all things are possible if you believe.”
When reflecting on her son she said, “Immanuel is a very humble kid, so he is taking it all in stride. His teammates from Kentucky, who also declared for the draft back in March, eight months ago went out and brought very expensive cars, but Immanuel just traveled to and from the gym in our extra minivan.”
Now that Immanuel is spending more time in New York she said, “Immanuel is not alone in the Big Apple. Playing at Kentucky has prepared him for the business of playing at this level.”
The John Carroll grad has a full day in New York as he outlined his day. “A typical day for me is trying to get seven to eight hours of sleep, get breakfast, and grab my Bible or something else positive to read while I’m eating. I head to the facility around 8, get a COVID-19 test, and then hop on the training table to get ready for my own court workout at 9.”
He add, “After my own court workout, I head to the weight room for a good lift session with my strength coach and usually finish around 10 or 10:30 am. I then hop in the shower and come out for some recovery/ massage with my trainer. I then go watch film with one of my assistant coaches, and after that, if I have no media, I head to the food place in our facility and grab lunch.
Finally, his day ends “around 1:00 pm. As soon as I get back, I come to my apartment and fall straight to sleep for about three to four hours and wake up around 5 pm. Sometimes I play video games or go to the mall. At night, I usually watch basketball, do some more reading, pray before I go to sleep, and start it all over again the next day.”
Immanuel first found his love for basketball at JC and said, “[I] remember my freshman year watching two senior guards and John Carroll alums Kimbal Mackenzie and Eli Long working out and shooting after practice was over, and it was kind of confusing to me because I thought to myself: ‘practice is over; everybody should be going home,’ but it was through watching how hard they worked and seeing them doing so well in games, I realized if I wanted to be great at basketball or anything, I would have to put the work in, every day.”
Remarking on what he’s carried with him now from JC he commented, “John Carroll has prepared me for life in a lot of different ways. When you are trying to get drafted, one of the most important things is how you conduct yourself in an interview. Can you be presentable? Can you articulate your words and thoughts well? Can you carry a conversation with eye contact? These are all things I was able to take with me from John Carroll.”
It’s been just over two years since Immanuel graduated from JC, and what he misses most, he said, are the “relationships I built there. I don’t think there was a day I came to school and didn’t have a good laugh whether it be from a peer or a teacher. I will miss the big games we played in, walking in the halls between class, and everything else about John Carroll that makes it so special.”
Immanuel also shared advice to other athletes on how to get over obstacles. “It’s never as good as it seems, and it’s never as bad as it seems. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.”
He added, “Continuing to keep a level-head and level-mindset is very important. Continuing to work hard and trust the process is also very important. For me, leaning on God and the hard work I put in was most important.”
Immanuel Quickley is a role model for the John Carroll community that hard work makes all the difference.