Mop boy nearly mowed down

Mop boys have a simple role in basketball - to wipe away the sweat and moisture on court so players don't slip over.

Like tennis ball boys and ball girls their court incursions are supposed to occur when the action stops, for obvious reasons.

But one young mop boy almost learned the hard when not to wander onto the boards when he was almost run down by a player during a recent college basketball game between the Northeastern Huskies and the Carolina Cougars in South Carolina.

With the ball in play and heading up the opposite end to where he was standing, the youngster entered the fray for a quick clean-up.

However, he soon found himself in a precarious position when Northeastern's Devon Begley stole possession and headed straight toward him.

It was only Begley's quick feet and evasive skills that saved the youngster from a nasty collision with footage of the incident proving a hit on social media.

Fortunately the tiny mop boy escaped unscathed, while Begley managed to complete the play and dunk the ball, with Northeastern going on to win the match 65-56.