One of my biggest inspirations for writing is Fox Sports' Mark Titus (formerly of Grantland and The Ringer). Back in his Grantland days, he used to do a column called "Triangle All-Stars," in which he would highlight five players who all fit a specific mold. Some of those categories included good players on bad teams, lefties, spot-up shooters, players with suffixes, and player with unique jersey numbers. In his writing, Titus perfectly blended entertainment and insight--frequently infusing analysis on lesser-known players with humor and his distinct narrative voice. Here is my tribute to those columns--and since I don't make any money off of this, I figured I could get away with imitating his structure and adding my own twist.
I've lost count of the amount of discussions I've had with people over jersey numbers--I don't know why, but some numbers just make athletes look better. For example, when LeBron went to Miami, he switched from 23 (an objectively legendary basketball number) to the sleeker number 6. It represented a new direction with a no-nonsense quest for a title. Although it took a humiliating Finals loss to get there, he soon captured his first Larry O'B and blossomed into the League's best player, all with 6 on his back.
Personally, I'm quite attached to the number 3. I played linebacker for my high school's football team, and right before my senior year, I more and more front-seven players at the collegiate level started wearing single digits numbers. In particular, I fell in love with UNC's All-ACC defensive tackle Marvin Austin, who wore number 9.
And he inspired me! I switched from 34 (pretty boring) to 3, and I still--somewhat embarrassingly--love the number ten years later.
But even a good player can make an ugly number cool (think Alvin Kamara rocking 41 for the Saints). So in the spirit of Titus's article from five years ago, here's some love for the impact players who sport some unorthodox digits.
Grant Sherfield, G, #52, Wichita State
Sherfield is next in the line of bullheaded point guards for the Shockers. Largely considered a fringe top-75 prospect, the freshman entered the season with no expectations--but with his unrelenting on-ball defense, he quickly earned a role playing 20+ minutes a game. When I think of Gregg Marshall and Wichita State, I envision an old school, lunch-pale type of program--the kind of program that would tell a freshman guard you have to earn a number that's more aesthetically pleasing. Well, Sherfield has answered the call. In addition to his defensive gifting, the stocky guard overpowers defenders to score at the rim and also shows off touch to drain a silky floater. A capable facilitator, he ranks 13th in assist percentage in the American Athletic Conference. Here's to hoping he keeps 52 for his entire career. Other notable #52s: Kuba Karwowski (Utah State), Kur Kuath (Oklahoma)
MaCio Teague, G, #31, Baylor
After years of volatile guard play, Scott Drew now has four guys who operate effortlessly off of each other: Jared Butler spearheads the offense, Davion Mitchell serves as the defensive stopper, Devonte Bandoo rains a monsoon of threes off of the bench, and Teague does a little bit of everything else. Despite a low release, Teague can find a rhythm and start hitting from beyond the arc. When he's cooking, he knocks down the long ball both by spotting up and curling off of screens. More impressively, he perfectly perceives the moment, knowing when a three-point bomb can propel momentum and puncture the hopes of his opponent. Teague also finds open teammates, rebounds like someone bigger than 6'3", and fits perfectly into Baylor's switchable defense that excels at both running foes off the three-point line and denying the ball inside. What's wild is that this dude was playing in the Big South two seasons ago (he redshirted last year, per transfer rules). Quick--name a Big South school without looking it up. If you thought of UNC-Asheville, congrats, because Teague started his career in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He went from rocking Teva's and sipping Pernicious IPAs (ok, probably not) to dominating for the nation's best team. Other notable #31s: Kellan Grady (Davidson), Scottie James (Liberty), Nick Rakocevic (Southern California), Nathan Mensah (San Diego State)
Saddiq Bey, F, #41, Villanova
I don't know how Villanova always has an endless supply of big wings/forwards that can drain threes, but as someone who cheers for 322nd best shooting team in the country (sadly not a joke), I'm jealous from now until infinity. Some may have predicted a Bey breakout from his tape last season. As a freshman, he converted on 37.5% of his three-point attempts, averaged just over 8 points per game, and logged the highest offensive rating on the team (123.1) of any Wildcat to play over 1,000 minutes. But due to the arrival of two top-15 prospects in Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Bryan Antoine, I pictured Bey functioning more as an ancillary piece. Yeah, that was a bad assumption. Out of all the spectacular shooters Jay Wright has coached, I'm not sure I've seen one who is better with a hand in his face than Bey. It does not matter how closely you contest his shot. Bey will spray you like he's Miles Morales graffitiing a New York subway tunnel. The sophomore currently averages over 15 points per game, hitting 45% of his shots from long distance. Other notable #41s: Jack White (Duke), Jeriah Horne (Tulsa)
Joey Brunk, F/C, #50, Indiana
Brunk might not be the best player in the country to wear 50 (shout out to Trevion Williams), and 50 might not even be that unique of a jersey number (shout out to David Robinson and Tyler Hansbrough). But the man deserves recognition for flat out epitomizing pure, unadulterated Indiana basketball. Here's one of the best headlines I've seen this season: "Brunk, Blue-Collar Indiana Out-Tough Michigan State." Some notable excerpts: "Brunk loves the weight room more than most college kids love social media." "Indiana has guys who are faster, stronger, taller and more talented than Brunk. Nobody expected Butler to tank after Brunk transferred from the Bulldogs to Indiana last spring. Nobody expects Brunk to play in the NBA. But 19 games into this season it’s reasonable to wonder if Brunk’s blue-collar orneriness is spreading through the locker room of this IU team." "Brunk is an Indiana kid who wanted to play basketball at Indiana. That is a key part of Miller's blueprint for this program." Have a look at his style of play: No flash. No gimmicks. Just focus, fundamentals, and footwork. I have no facts to back up this theory, but there is a 99.9% chance that those three characteristics find their root in multigenerational Larry Bird worship in the Brunk family. Other notable #50s: Trevion Williams (Purdue), Austin Wiley (Auburn), Austin Phyfe (Northern Iowa), Will Baker (Texas)
Luka Garza, F/C, #55, Iowa
In my National Player of the Year post, I waxed poetic about the man with the best eyebrows this side of Luke Maye. So instead of rehashing that, here's something I've noticed about the number 55: its appearance has actually become commonplace in the college game. Almost every game I watch, I notice another guy wearing the double-nickel. For most of the "other notables," I had to dig deep into mid-majors and role players; but that's not the case for this one. Memphis' Precious Achiuwa looks like a lottery pick and leads the nation in defensive rating. Washington has cratered into soot since the suspension of their reliable point guard Quade Green. Michigan projects as a tournament team due in part to the early-season shooting of Eli Brooks. Even North Carolina's Christian Keeling has found a groove, scoring 14 and 13 points, respectively, in contests against Florida State and Duke this past week. Play us out, Sammy! Coming off the bench: Tanner Kuhse, #00, Saint Mary's; Chase Johnson, #40, Dayton; Jacob Young, #42, Rutgers; Tomas Woldentensae, #53, Virginia; Russell Tchewa, #54, Texas Tech
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AuthorRiley Davis Archives
June 2021
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