The B.I.A.H "Namesmith Award" Watch List

Yup, you read that correctly.

B.I.A.H is proud to announce the releasal of our watch-list for the "Namesmith Award for Etymological Awesomeness". This award is given to the player whose performance best helps bring awareness to his awesome name.

Now you're probably wondering "Well what's the difference between the 'All-Name Teams' and the 'Namesmith' Award"?

Production. Any scrub walk-on can have a marvelous name, but only a few special players have that x-factor: the ability to have a fantastically-bizarre name and the ability to perform at a high level on the court.

Some of the guys on this list were All-Name-Team snubs, but their basketball talent and ability raises their overall profile. Trust me, the only reason any of you know about California's Bak Bak is because of the All-Name Team.

As the season progresses, we will whittle the list down so by season's end we have just ten remaining finalists, and it will be up to you, the viewers to determine the winner of the inaugural B.I.A.H "Namesmith Award".

So, after the jump we present to you our preseason watch-list of the 50 finalists for the 2011-2012 B.I.A.H "Namesmith Award".


God's Gift Achiuwa - St. John's
Raven Barber - Mt. St. Mary's
Duece Bello - Baylor
Melsahn Besabe - Iowa
Alwayne Bigby - Northeastern
Kidani Brutus - Manhattan
Jenirro Bush - Jackson State
DeAndre Cane - Marshall
Isaiah Canaan - Murray State
Finnis Craddock - Central Michigan
Markeith Cummings - Kennesaw State
Delino Dear - Toledo
TyShwan Edmonson - Austin Peay
Fuquan Edwin - Seton Hall
Festus Ezeli - Vanderbilt
Indiana Faithfull - Wofford
Novar Gadson - Rider
Scooter Gillette - Niagara
Delwan Graham - Jacksonville
Draymond Green - Michigan State
Mick Hedgepeth - Belmont
Dario Hunt - Nevada
Scoop Jardine - Syracuse
Jordair Jett - St. Louis
Vander Joaquim - Hawaii
Arsalan Kazemi - Rice
Cady Lalane - UMass
Hernst LaRoche - New Mexico State
Nurideen Lindsey - St. John's
Genesis Maciel - Hartford
Cleveland Melvin - DePaul
Four McGlynn - Vermont
Hugh Mingo - Louisiana-Monroe
Ferg Myrick - New Hampshire
Shabazz Napier - UConn
Dundrecous Nelson - Ole Miss
Orion Outterbridge - Rhode Island
Peter Pappageorge - Long Beach State
Brockeith Payne - Utah State
Jawanza Poland - South Florida
RayVonte Rice, Drake
Dartaye Ruffin - Drexel
Durrand Scott - Miami (FL)
Chace Stanback - UNLV
Dyricus Symmes-Edwards, Bradley
Chehales Tapscott, Portland State
Savalance Townsend - Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Casper Ware - Long Beach State
Storm Warren - LSU
Trey Zeigler - Central Michigan

(Like any good "Watch List", three will be a few mistakes. Let us know if you think we snubbed any superstars)