Jae Crowder's a matchup nightmare, but he almost didn't make it out of the JuCo ranks

You can find the rest of the features from the #BIAHRoadTrip here.

MILWAUKEE, WI - Far too often, we overlook the blessings in our lives.

Whether it's because the app we downloaded onto our iPad isn't working or our internet provider doesn't carry ESPN3 or even something as simple accidentally buying the wrong brand of toothpaste, the little things in life always seem to be the most annoying. I know I've come close to throwing my cell phone out the window because the picture I took wouldn't upload to twitter.

Life is hard, you know?

Jae Crowder doesn't look at it that way.
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College Hoops Week in Review: Jae Crowder and Indiana get nominated

Player of the Week: Jae Crowder, Marquette

The Golden Eagles are coming off of a 2-0 week that saw them knock off both Washington in New York City and UW-Green Bay. In those two wins, Crowder was terrific, averaging 19.5 ppg an 6.5 rpg while collecting three blocks and three steals and shooting 60% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. But with Crowder, its about more than just the numbers. You want an example? He's all of 6'6" and probably would be listed as a small forward in a normal lineup, but when Chris Otule injured his knee on Tuesday at the Jimmy V Classic, Crowder was the guy that slid into the center spot for the Golden Eagles. Another example? Crowder also hit the game-winning jumper against the Huskies.

Marquette isn't a secret anymore. This is a tough, physical team that is as talented this season as they have been under Buzz Williams. They have a stable of big, athletic wings that can shoot and penetrate, they have a pair of capable big men and they have an underrated, playmaking point guard.


But Crowder is the piece that brings it all together. His ability to play on the perimeter and in the post is a major reason for the versatility that Williams has in the lineups that he is able to put on the floor. He defends, he rebounds and he is one of the most efficient offensive players in the country. He's a leader for this group, and it shows. As Williams said of Crowder after the close win over Washington, "that's my guy. I'll roll with that cat no matter where he goes."


The All-They-Were-Good-Too Team:

- G: Phil Pressey and Marcus Denmon, Missouri: Denmon scored 50 points in two games this week, including 28 in the Tiger's win over Villanova. But we went over him earlier this week. Pressey deserves just as much credit for his team's success. He only shot 5-18 from the field, but he had 17 assists in the two games, including 12 in just 24 minutes against Nova.

- G: Truck Bryant and Kevin Jones, West Virginia: The 'Eers went 2-0 this week with wins over Kansas State and Miami, two other teams that will be on or around the bubble come March. Bryant had 51 points in the two games. Jones went for 30 points and 12 boards against the Wildcats, including a three at the end of regulation to force overtime.

- F: Christian Watford, Indiana: Watford had 20 points, including 17 in the second half, as Indiana knocked off then-No. 1 Kentucky. He also hit a pretty big shot.

- F: Draymond Green, Michigan State: Green was sensational as the Spartans knocked off Gonzaga in Spokane, finishing with 34 points on 11-13 shooting from the floor and adding three assists and three steals. Green added 14 points and nine boards as Michigan State knocked off CCSU at home on Wednesday.

- C: Patric Young, Florida: Young was completely dominant as the Gators knocked off Arizona in overtime, going for 25 points and 10 boards while blocking two shots and shooting 12-15 from the floor. He added another double-double on Friday night, finishing with 12 points and ten boards in a win over Rider. For the week, Young shot 17-22 from the field.

- Bench: Will Barton, Memphis (27.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.5 spg, 22-33 FG); Ben Brust, Wisconsin (25 points, 7-7 3's vs. UNLV); Deonte Burton, Nevada (24.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.0 apg); Jack Cooley, Notre Dame (22.0 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.0 bpg) DJ Cooper, Ohio (14 pts, 10 rbs, 10 asts, 5 stls vs. Portland); Vincent Council, Providence (21 pts, 11 asts, 9 rbs vs. Brown); Gorgui Deing, Louisville (16.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 13-15 FG); Thomas Gibson, Kansas State (19.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg); John Henson, North Carolina (18.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 3.5 bpg); Tay Jones, St. Joseph's (29 pts, 5 asts, 5 rbs vs. Creighton); Kevin Murphy, Tennessee Tech (26.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.5 spg); Mason Plumlee, Duke (13.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.5 spg, 3.5 rpg, 11-15 FG); Herb Pope, Seton Hall (25.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 18-24 FG); Thomas Robinson, Kansas (23.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg); Josh Terry, Austin Peay (21.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Alex Young, IUPUI (43 pts, 9 rbs vs Western Kentucky)


Team of the Week: Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana played just one game last week, but it was a big one. The Hoosiers hosted heated rival and then-No. 1 Kentucky and won a thriller, using a three-pointer from Christian Watford as time expired to upset the Wildcats. The shot set off a wild scene, as the fans stormed the floor, setting off a wave of emotion that had built up for four years.


But this win was about more than just a party. I think that its safe to say Indiana is for real this season; knocking off the no. 1 team in the country will make a lot of people think the same. The question I have, however, is just how fluky this game was. Kentucky did not play well. Terrence Jones was no where to be found, Anthony Davis was in foul trouble and Doron Lamb didn't have his best game. Combine that with the energy in the building that was fueling the Hoosiers, and its not difficult to see why it would be easy to assume that this game was more about the circumstances surrounding the teams than it was about the game. Styles make the fight, so to speak.

This is the best Indiana team to take the court in the Tom Crean era, and there is no question that the Hoosiers are probably better than we thought heading into the season. But, at best, I still think this is, at best, a borderline top 25 team.


Teams deserving a shout out:

Austin Peay: The Governors won their first two games of the season this week, beating Arkansas State in overtime before going into Knoxville and taking down Tennessee. Josh Terry led the way, averaging 21.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg for the week. He had 20 points, six boards, five assists and four steals in the win over Tennessee.

Dayton: The Flyers are still the most confounding team in the country. After solidly handling No. 15 Alabama on Tuesday, the Flyers struggled to hold off USC-Upstate over the weekend. The Flyers have some talented scorers and a couple of big guys on their roster, but with Dayton, the issue seems to be whether or not they are going to decide to show up.

Duke: The Blue Devils won two games this week, including a six point win against Washington in Madison Square Garden in a game that wasn't as close as the final score indicated. Austin Rivers played well in both games, but the performance of the week belongs to Mason Plumlee. He averaged 13.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg while totaling seven blocks and seven steals in the two games. But while he shot 11-15 from the field, Plumlee was 4-17 from the free throw line.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles picked up two wins on the week, knocking off UW-Green Bay on Saturday after their thrilling win over Washington in the Jimmy V Classic. Its tough not to like Marquette this season. Size, balance, athleticism, experience and toughness. Can't ask for much more than that.

Missouri: Like Marquette, Missouri put together a strong performance at the Garden on national television, one that swayed the national consciousness in their favor. The Tigers are fun to watch simply because everyone of the players on their roster plays a vital role. While its the ability of Kim English to spread the floor at the four spot, its the play of Phil Pressey and Michael Dixon that gets the Tigers all of those open looks.

Murray State: Its time for us to starting talking about the Racers more seriously. Murray State is now 10-0 on the season after Sunday night, when they went into Memphis and knocked off the Tigers. Isaiah Canaan -- who seems like he has been in college for a decade -- is the player to watch, averaging 19.8 ppg and 4.0 apg.

Northern Iowa: The Panthers improved to 9-1 on the season by going 2-0 this week with a pair of impressive wins. First, they knocked Iowa off 80-60 despite finding themselves down 10-0 in the first couple of minutes. UNI followed that up by putting a whooping on Milwaukee, beating them 67-51. Milwaukee was coming off of a double-digit win over DePaul.

Oklahoma: Lon Kruger has done an impressive job turning this program around. The Sooners, who are now 7-1 on the season, went 2-0 last week, knocking off in-state rival Oral Roberts before earning a win over Arkansas. The Sooners also have wins over Washington State and Santa Clara, but we may not know how good they are until Big 12 play starts considering that their last non-conference test, Cincinnati, will be dealing with suspensions when they play.

St. Joseph's: Langston Galloway had 30 points in a win over Boston University on Wednesday while Tay Jones had 29 points -- including 20 in the second half -- on Saturday as the Hawks knocked off Creighton.

Temple: The Owls may be playing without Michael Eric right now, but they still have Ramone Moore. The talented small forward had 32 points as the Owls handled Villanova fairly easily at home. Temple also picked up a win against Toledo on the road.

West Virginia: Playing two teams that they appear destined to share the bubble with this season, West Virginia went into Wichita and knocked off Kansas State in double overtime, following that up with an impressive and fairly dominating win over Miami. Kevin Jones and Truck Bryant combined to scored 93 points in the two games.

Wichita State: Coming off of a 19 point win over UNLV, Wichita State went into Tulsa and knocked off the Golden Hurricane, following that up with a win over Utah State. Combine that with the loss that Creighton had at St. Joseph's, and the Shockers might be the favorite in the Missouri Valley.


Five Thoughts:

- Is it time to call Washington just mediocre?: After losing to both Marquette and Duke at the Garden last week, the Huskies are now just 4-4 on the season and losers of three straight. That's not exactly ideal from the team that many believe is the most talented team in the Pac-12. Why are they struggling? Washington doesn't play enough defense, for starters. They also are a poor decision-making team. Their shot-selection leaves much to be desired and they average 15 turnovers per game. Washington is extremely talented, but they consistently under-perform every season. Why should we expect any different this year?

- Struggles for the WCC?: Two weeks ago, I said that the WCC was the best mid-major conference in the country. My sentiment hasn't exactly changed, but the league doesn't appear to be quite as strong as I had originally thought. Over the weekend, Gonzaga lost at home to Michigan State while Santa Clara got dropped by 38 against Washington State. Portland got worked over by both Boise State and Ohio while Loyola Marymount is only a week removed from losing to both Columbia and North Texas. Throw in St Mary's loss to Denver, and the strength and depth of the league isn't what it appeared to be.

So who is the best mid-major league? If you are asking me today, I'm taking the Missouri Valley. Creighton is ranked and, in my opinion, should still be ranked even after losing at St. Joseph's this weekend. Wichita State has won three straight against UNLV, Utah State and Tulsa. Northern Iowa is 9-1 with wins against Iowa and Milwaukee this past week. Not a bad top three.

- Murray State should be ranked: The Racers are now 10-0 on the season, but that record is only 7-0 against Division I teams. The thing is, all of those wins are solid. Four of them came on the road against the likes of UAB, Morgan State and Western Kentucky. The other three were against Dayton, Southern Mississippi and San Francisco. And then on Sunday, the Racers went into Memphis and knocked off the Tigers. You think there are really 25 teams in the country that a) have a better resume than that and b) are actually better than the Racers?

- Reeves Nelson had to go: There was no other choice for Ben Howland. You cannot suspend a player three times during a single season and keep him on the team. As a head coach, you lose credibility, and Howland is already struggling with that. The next step, however, would be to kick Josh Smith off of the team. The big fella is, simply put, too big to be an effective basketball player. His conditioning is a bigger issue and more of a detriment to the Bruin's success Nelson ever was. Nelson may have been a clubhouse cancer, but Smith can be Jared Sullinger if he wanted to be.

- The Crosstown Punchout: Before I say what I am about to say, remember this: I think that the suspensions given to the players on the Cincinnati and Xavier teams were too short. Six games and one Big East game for the sucker punch that was landed on Kenny Frease's chin or the stomp that was placed on his head is too short. Four games for being the spark that ignited the entire brawl is not enough.

That said, I am sick of hearing people say that basketball has to be taken away from these kids to teach them a lesson. Isn't the point here that this is bigger than basketball? That we are trying to get these kids educated not just in sports and the classroom, but in how to be able to be a functioning member of society? If Yancy Gates thinks its ok to throw a sucker punch like that, doesn't that show you he is a long way away from that lesson? And if you kicked him out of school, would he even get that point?


Games of the Week:

Indiana 73, No. 1 Kentucky 72: We all know what happened by now:



West Virginia 85, Kansas State 80 2OT:



Marquette 79, Washington 77:



Matchups of the Week:

- Tue. 9:00 pm: No. 16 Wisconsin @ Milwaukee
- Wed. 8:00 pm: Belmont @ Middle Tennessee State
- Thu. 8:00 pm: Oral Roberts @ No. 22 Gonzaga
- Fri. 10:30 pm: Weber State @ Cal
- Sat. 2:30 pm: No. 25 Texas A&M @ No. 12 Florida
- Sat. 4:00 pm: No. 20 Memphis @ No. 4 Louisville
- Sat. 4:00 pm: Arizona @ No. 22 Gonzaga
- Sat. 5:00 pm: UNLV @ No. 22 Illinois
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Marquette's tough, but they have some talent too

NEW YORK - A basketball team is always a work in progress. From the first day that the players arrive on campus until the day that the season ends -- whether that is in the conference tournament, the first round of the NCAA Tournament, or, if you are lucky enough, on the final day of the season -- the goal is too simply get better.

Yes, you want to win games along the way, but its more important for the team as a whole to grow, each and every time they step foot on the court.

"We don't want to play for the record. We don't want to play for the ranking. We want to play to improve. We want to play to grow," head coach Buzz Williams said after his team's thrilling, 79-77 win over Washington in the nightcap of the Jimmy V Classic. "Its like a stock, an investment. We're investing in ourselves so that our stock continues to grow."


No one has epitomized that more than Marquette over the past couple of seasons. The Golden Eagles have been dubbed Team Bubble Watch, as they have developed a reputation over for struggling to close out games early in the year before coming together and making an impressive stretch run.

Last season, that run came during the postseason. After dropping their last two games of the regular season, the Golden Eagles needed two wins in the Big East Tournament just to be able to get themselves an at-large invite to the Big Dance. Marquette proceeded to upset both Xavier and Syracuse en route to the Sweet 16. The year before that -- in 2009-2010 -- Marquette started out the season 11-8 overall and 2-5 in the Big East, but then won nine out of ten games, including three straight in overtime, to play their way into the NCAA Tournament.

This season is different.

Marquette has played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country to date. They have played just three of their eight games at home, something you rarely see out of high-major programs. They won the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands and also own a tough win over Wisconsin at the Kohl Center, which is one of the most difficult places for a road team to come out victorious. The win is made all the more impressive considering the Golden Eagles were playing without starting point guard Junior Cadougan.

And after knocking off what is probably the most talented team in the Pac-12, Marquette improves to 8-0 on the season, something that Team Bubble Watch isn't exactly used to.

"Its different than what we've done in the past, that's for sure," Williams said. "I think that's just the maturity of our guys. I think out schedule is probably just a little too hard. We still have to play at LSU, we still have to play Vanderbilt at home."

"We haven't been able to get to this point before, having played who we play."

The stereotype that gets called into play when talking about this Marquette program is toughness. A gritty group of JuCo players led by a gritty JuCo head coach toughing out wins based purely on their blue-collar work ethic and their mettle as a team.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing, according to Williams.

"We don't want to be tactical and we don't want to be technical. We want to be tough," he said. "I don't think that if you diagnose how we played tonight, that you would consider us a top 40 teams. but if you were diagnosing our toughness relative to what we've been through over the last four days, we're pretty tough."

Toughness only gets you so far in a college basketball landscape dominated by one-and-done prospects, the McDonald's all-americans that draw the biggest crowds and the highest-spending agents and runners. Toughness allows you to hang with the best, but talent lets you beat the best. And this season, Marquette has as much talent on their roster as they have in Buzz Willliams' tenure.

And that's saying something, considering the fact that the Golden Eagles have sent a number of players to the professional ranks -- Jimmy Butler, Lazar Hayward, Wesley Matthews -- during Buzz's tenure. No one seems to notice that.

For Buzz, that's perfectly ok.

"At some point you have to give it up that our program is much deeper than just being the deepest team," Williams said. "At some point, the problem with it is because I don't say it, nobody writes it. I don't want to talk about what we do, I want our character to be revealed. Its more than just playing hard. Its more than just being the toughest. At some point, somebody has to have enough guts to say that."

Ok.

I'll bite.

He's right, and I'm not just saying that because Williams told me too. Yeah, the quote is nice (thanks Buzz), but this team's performance speaks for itself. Darius Johnson-Odom, who averages nearly 20 ppg, went for 23 points and four assists against Washington. Jae Crowder, the team's second-eading scorer and leading rebounder at 16.9 ppg and 6.7 rpg, had 18 points and six boards, which includes the game-winning three pointer with six seconds left. Vander Blue, Junior Cadougan and Todd Mayo are all capable back court players.

Throw in a trio of capable big men up front -- Chris Otule, Davante Gardner and Jamil Wilson -- that Williams said "changes the complexion of our team", and Marquette has a team that is capable of winning the Big East.

Seriously.

They do.

Sooner or later they are going to get that respect.

"For sure we get overlooked," Crowder said. "People think we're one-dimensional, and that's not who we are."

"Its all people talk about, but at some point it has to end.
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90% of basketball is the flow: An inside look at the best hairdos in college hoops

No sport allows the viewing public to focus on the face and head of players as much as basketball does.

Think about it: Hockey, football, baseball and lacrosse all require helmets. Even water polo and wrestling requires some sort of head-gear. Soccer is played on a field that's damn-near a quarter-mile long. Nobody watches tennis or bowling. But in basketball, viewers can see every part of a players face.

Why do I bring this up?

Well, only because the college basketball landscape features some of the most interesting hairdos in the entire sports world.

Is this list completely unnecessary? Absolutely. Is it a waste of time? Probably. But does it make you a better, more knowledgeable college basketball fan? Hell-yes it does.

If you are interested to see who made last year's list. Here ya go: Part 1, Part 2.

Mike Bruesewitz - Wisconsin

I know what you're thinking: "When the hell did Wisconsin offer Carrot Top a scholarship?" Mike "Ravishing Red" Breueswitz is setting the Midwest ablaze with his heart, hustle and hair. There's the "Bruesewitz hair-cam" and even red wigs for sale at the Badgers team store.


Bruesewitz hasn't always donned the flaming mop-top. Up until this season he has sported a more conservative crew-cut, but was inspired by his older brother to let his hair down.


The Bruiser's head of hair is about as unique, and red, as any head of hair in the country.


Dwight Buycks - Marquette

I love Dwight Buycks. I'll admit it, and I have no shame in doing so. Just look at this dude, and try to tell me you don't at least admire his swagger.


What I like the most about Buyck's hairdo, which I have coined "the buyck tread", is that he mixes it up. After all, versatility is key in any sport. You have to keep people on their toes, and that's exactly what Buycks is doing.


Rotnei Clarke - Arkansas

I'll forgive him for the egregious misspelling of his first name for now, because my man Rotnei is repping the "brohawk" to the max. Clarke is arguably one of the best pure-shooters in the country. But he also seems to follows the golden rule of all sports "You have to look good in order to play good".


I'm not exactly sure how the "brohawk" stays intact during games, but I'll save that for another post. Maybe we should ask Gary Parrish, he probably knows the answer:



Honorable Mention: Cade Davis, Oklahoma


Andre Coimbra - Central Michigan

How in-the-world do you play with something like this?


I just don't understand how somebody can play a close-quarters-game like basketball with such spacious hair. If I had to play against him, I'd get rather frustrated. Plus you have to wonder whether all that hair gets in the way of his brain processing information. I mean, why would somebody from Rio de Janeiro want to spend four years in Central Michigan?


Jae Crowder - Marquette

He's got locks similar to Morehead State's Kenny Faried. There is something ferocious about Crowder's look. Maybe it's his size, after all, he's just 6'6, but his upper body is stacked, and when he gets fired up, he looks like some sort of wild animal.


I would not want to fight for a rebound against hair like this.

Honorable Mention: Kenny Faried, Morehead State, Nick Mason, Arkansas


Marcus Denmon - Missouri


This is the cornrow'd version of "lettuce". Demon's cornrows are well manicured and well maintained. His hairdo is similar to what teammate Michael Dixon rocked last season. There is no denying that Denmon has been on fire this season, and there's no denying that his hairdo is pretty fresh.

Honorable Mention: Marvell Waithe, Arkansas, Aaron Brown, Temple


Tyrone Garland - Virginia Tech

You may be surprised to know that Garland is the 3rd leading scorer in Philadelphia Public School history, only one spot behind Wilt Chamberlain. But that's about all that garland and "The Big Dipper" have in common. The freshman guard may have the most unique set of hair follicles in the ACC. What really makes his hairdo interesting is the headband. We've seen many players with dreads as long as Garland's but that headband keeps it under control.


What I also love about Garland is that he's versatile. He's gone with dreads, straight cornrows, designed cornrows and even a Katt-Williams-esque flat-iron approach.

Honorable Mention: Steve Tchiengang, Vanderbilt


Aloysius Henry - UNC-Greensboro

Henry is in a hair-class of his own. I mean, what exactly is that? Is it a mini-fro? Is a gheri-curl? Are they tiny dreads?


Whatever it is, I am certain that it is pretty cool. The six-ten native of the Windward Islands definitely has that Caribbean-style of flow going on. I really can't emphasize how much I like this 'do.


Scotty Hopson - Tennessee

Nobody rocks the high-top fade harder then Hopson. He's been repping the "Fresh Prince" all-season-long and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere.


I've always been a big fan of this hairdo, and I love to see somebody represent it this thoroughly. I only wish he would continue to grow it out until Kid'n'Play have to sue for stealing their likeness.

Honorable Mention: Norris Cole, Cleveland State, Anthony Jones, Baylor, Ryan Evans, Wisconsin


Jordair Jett - Saint Louis

Awesome name? Yup. Awesome head of hair? Yup yup.


But seriously, I think this might be too much hair for one head. It looks like he doesn't even know what to do with all those dreads. It's like a messy ball of extension-cords. Your mom will tell you to unravel them and put them away, but you just can't get them untangled. So what do you do? You bunch them up as tightly as possible and wedge them into a cupboard hoping they will stay put. At least for the sake of opposing players, Jett seems to have his follicles under control.


Skylar McBee - Tennessee

The loveable Volunteer walk-on captured the hearts of hoops fans everywhere last season with his game-clinching 3-pointer against top-ranked Kansas. But now McBee captures the hearts of pre-teen girls everywhere with his homage to Justin Beiber.


I call it "the McBeeiber".

Honorable Mention: John Shurna, Northwestern


Jesse Perry - Arizona

And the winner for "Biggest head of hair in College Basketball" goes to..... Seriously, look at that. It's some amalgamation of dreadlocks and cornrows. Whatever it is, it's way too much. Imagine going for a rebound against him? It looks like that thing could drop you like a bad habit. Its one thing to have to box out a guy with long dreads that might whip you in the eye or neck, but it's another thing to get knocked out by somebody's dreadlocks.


Imagine how strong his neck muscles must be for having to hold up that much weight all the time?


Cory Remekun - St. Louis

That is no ordinary afro.


It's a mullet-inspired pseudo-hi-top=fade-meets-afro-slash-frohawk. Sure it looks like kind of normal from afar but at the proper angle, you can tell this hairdo is one of a kind. It's almost like a rhombus-shaped afro. I'm not sure if that's what Remekun was going for, but that's what he got, and it's pretty cool. (A big H/T to @MattSebek for the twitpic)


Stephen Roundtree - Oral Roberts

If I could grow hair like this, I totally would. Its kind-of like the gheri-curl of our generation, and I love it.


It also kind-of looks like one of those goofy snowboarding hats you see people wearing because they think it's hip and cool but everybody else knows that it's totally lame.


Donald Sims - Appalachian State

In Sims' four years at Appalachian State he has amassed a plethora of awards, achievements, records, and career-bests. But as for his hair, I'm not really sure what to say.


The only "best-of" or "all-hair" team Sims' qualifies for is the "All-over-the-place" squad. Sims' hair is even more confusing in person. It's not exactly an afro, but it's not exactly a gheri-curl or curly-locks either. So in conclusion, I'm not sure what exactly is going on upstairs with Sims, but at least it deserves recognition.


Sai'Quon Stone - Southern Mississippi

Here we have another Double-gold-winning head of hair (All-Name-Teamer/All-Hair-Teamer). Stone subscribes to the Stanley Robinson School of hair-care: If you got it, flaunt it.


Sai'Quon will rock cornrows one game, dreads the next, a different type of cornrows after that, followed-up by a combination of dreads and cornrows. Like I stated earlier, versatility is key. You gotta keep the people alls wanting more, and I think Sai'Quon knows this. I mean, why else would he subject head scalp to such bizarre designs?


Jeron Trotman - Centenary

Centenary has not one a single game this season and will probably finish the season without one. I can't imagine they have too many fans at their home games. But if you want to sell a bad product, you have to spruce it up a bit, and that's exactly what Trotman has done with his head.


I mean, this is probably the only time this year you've seen a picture of a Centenary player, so Trotman's work is already paying off.

Honorable Mention: Moussa Camara, Binghamton


Mike Wilder - UC-Irvine

Last, but certainly not least, is last season's winner of the "Donald Trump Award for Most Outstanding Head of Hair", Mike Wilder. I'm rarely at a loss for words, but it's easy to forget what I'm talking about when I gaze at his super-mega-afro-crag.



If UC-Irvine hasn't started selling "Mike Wilder afro wigs" at home games, somebody in the marketing department needs to be fired.

So there you have it. An in-depth look at some of the best hairdos in college hoops this season. But my work isn't done. I know there are dome-pieces out there I haven't seen yet. If you have noticed a bizarre hairdo, or if something catches your eye during a game, hit up @BIAHtheTrizzle or email us at contactBIAH@gmail.com
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Calipari cleans up ... again

Yesterday was the first day of the spring signing period, and as everyone expected, John Calipari cleaned up.

For starters, he signed 6'10", 240 lb Turkish big man Enes Kanter. Kanter is a bit on a controversial recruit. A coveted prospect in Europe, Kanter wanted to play basketball and get an education at an american school, turning down multi-million dollar deals. The issue, however, is not whether or not he played with professionals, however (the rule that got fellow Turk Deniz Kilicli suspended for West Virginia's first 20 games is going to be changed). The question is whether or not Kanter himself is a professional. He is only 17 years old, and FIBA rules state that you must be 18 to sign a contract, but there are rumors that Kanter has been getting paid under the table.

Kanter put 34 points and 14 boards on the USA in the Nike Hoop Summit.
(photo credit: Sporting News)

Kanter has been cleared academically, but so was Renardo Sidney. It will be interesting to follow this process over the coming months.

Kanter's signing was just a start. Later in the day, Coach Cal landed the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2010 in Brandon Knight, the fourth straight star point guard recruit he has signed. Kentucky already has 6'5" Stacey Poole signed, a four star recruit, which means Cal has already landed one of the best recruiting classes in the country, and he still could get a couple more five-star recruits, specifically 6'9" CJ Leslie, a former HS teammate of John Wall.

Brandon Knight is Coach Cal's next star point guard.
(photo credit: Lexington Herald)

The day wasn't yet over, as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2011, Michael Gilchrist, a 6'7" small forward that has drawn comparisons to a guy like Scottie Pippen, committed to Kentucky (he can't sign yet).

Other signing day news:

• Both Ray McCallum, Jr., and Trey Zeigler were highly touted back court recruits. Both players had fathers coaching at mid-major programs in Michigan -- McCallum, Sr., is the head coach at Detroit while Ernie Zeigler is the coach at Central Michigan. Surprising no one, both players decided to stay at home and play for their fathers. Detroit should be pretty good next season, as they return their three top scorers, none of whom play the point, leaving McCallum room to come in and start right away. If Gordon Hayward stays in the draft, its possible that Detroit becomes the favorite in the Horizon. Zeigler is in a different position. Central Michigan loses three of their top four scorers from a team that went just 15-15. He will be counted on for a lot of scoring early in his career.


• Marquette got an early start at replacing Lazar Hayward when they signed JuCo player of the year Jae Crowder. Crowder averaged 19 and 9 for the NJCAA national title winners at Howard College while also knocking down 54 threes. At 6'6", 225 lb, he's about the same size as Hayward as well. But Hayward's shoes will be big ones to fill.
  


• The next big day in recruiting is Saturday, as quite a few players -- including CJ Leslie and Josh Selby -- are expected to declare at some point during the Jordan Brand all-american game.
  

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