As a general rule if those devoted fans think that a game against a higher profile team is totally and utterly hopeless then there is probably a pretty good chance that it is. You can learn much more from looking at two or three games like this than you can draw from looking at all of the other games the team has played combined. "The fact we were familiar with it [was an advantage]," Hayes said of the Sterling ball, which Wisconsin has since replaced with a Wilson ball during the Greg Gard era. While hosiery may seem a rather strange inspiration for a team name, it turns out this it's actually pretty spot on. "There were only one or two when I started coaching," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. D1 NCAA. The mascot Rameses was inspired by a good luck tradition back in the 1920s, when the Tar Heels brought it to games against Virginia Military Institute. Anyone who has taken a course on Chaucer will understand why the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers deserve a place on this list of unusual team names, but if you haven't, here's the deal. The Purdue University website asks the question in many of our minds: What is a Boilermaker? The school's mascot is called Super Frog, and he's one of the spookiest-looking amphibians I've ever seen. Still, you'll find that your computer puts red squiggles under the word seawolf, and even the teams that have the mascot don't agree on what it is. 9. In baseball, they're the most winning baseball team over the last 31 years. How about when you see the school's mascot, Brutus Buckeye, whose head is, of course, an over-sized nut? Whatever a Sun Devil is, it belongs on this list. OSU is consistently one of the top teams in the Midwest, and Brutus is one of the most well-known mascots in the country. "I just remember walking into the store, going from aisle to aisle and hoping to find all the different basketballs," said Smart, now the head coach at Texas. In fact, in men's basketball, during their 2007-2008 season, they played in 25 away games, including game against Ohio State, Clemson and Wake Forest. 12 Vols lose starting PG Zeigler to torn ACL, Tide's Oats takes blame for Miller's 'TSA' intro, Iowa State dismisses third-leading scorer Grill, Davis within 25 points of tying Maravich's mark, Scheyer makes history as Duke sweeps at home, USC, OU, Seton Hall, Iowa in new hoops tourney, Man pleads guilty for trying to extort GT, Pastner, Sizing up the player of the year winners in all 32 Division I men's conferences, 5 things to know as Antoine Davis is set to pass 'Pistol' Pete's scoring record. The name, however, is more than a simple reference to the school's color. After shutting out rival Wabash College 44-0, the local paper headline the game, "Slaughter of Innocents: Wabash Snowed Completely Under by the Burly Boiler Makers from Purdue.". Rick Leddy, spokesman for the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), says conversations about a standard ball have been raised but never matured due to the conflicts created by the contracts schools had signed with various apparel companies. In college football, I don't think there is. Kansas, for example, keeps a rack of 15 basketballs representing the five or six basketball brands the team will use throughout the season. Basketball ATS Standings, College Basketball Matchup Stats, College That's how it's been, so you kinda just work with it.". Nevertheless, Tulsa did a good job with the mascot, and the lightning bolt is a nice touch. Theyaverage more than 20,000 people at their home games. As for athletic performances, Iona has been a top men's cross country team in the nation over the last decade. Halfway through, though, hesunk to the bottom of the pit, and it seemed like he was dead. Look at how they have performed against teams you do know Trying to draw meaning from looking back at a basketball game between two obscure teams is mostly useless because you lack context to make what you learn relevant. College Sports Matchups: CSM offers all the significant news for your team in one place, no matter if it's from the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, PAC-10 or SEC. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Not objective, necessarily, but thorough. As a Quinnipiac student and sports journalist, I get to see Fairfield in a variety of sports over the course of the school year. The 12 most-used names of four-year college teams (including names with attached adjectives such as "Blue", "Golden", "Flying" or "Fighting"): Eagles (118), Hawks (106), Tigers (72), Lions (65), Bulldogs (58), Cougars (58), Panthers (55), Bears (54), Knights (50), Wildcats (42), Warriors (41), and Pioneers (36). In the NBA, I believe, there is a standard. With the new name, the school needed a new cheer. Its athletic teams compete in theAtlantic Coast Conference. A shocker is the person harvesting and stacking the grain. Men & Women. Arizona is better known for its plateaus, canyons and deserts, but it's also home to some hardy pine forests, so the logging name captures the wilderness theme of northern Arizona. That's where the chaos ensues. 1,208 times. 20 Strangest Division I Team Names. East Los Angeles. In short, it's the nut from an Ohio buckeye tree. Purdue's engineering and agriculture history is captured by the university's official mascot, the Boilermaker Special. by OtisBushtail. However, don't let it's odd team name fool you; Georgetown has done very well as a member of the Big East Conference. "The Nun's Priest's Tale." Although lightning bolts might be more dramatic, you may want to put your money on the athletes out there clearing thousands of acres of grain. At the heart of Dartmouth's picture-perfect New England campus is a big town or village green (see it here). Up until the 1920s, they used to be called the Pioneers, until they changed it to Aces. After all, global warming hadn't taken effect yet. Internet forums are another great source of information just because a basketball team is obscure doesnt mean that it doesnt have a devoted fanbase that obsesses over ever detail of the team and their performance. Some schools nickname themselves after socks, others after plants, and one is even named after a doll. Wildcats. Likes. In addition, the Arizona Cardinals use the facility during summer training camp when the weather outside is unbearable. Fast-forward to 2012, and Rick Majerus' basketball Billikens are competing for the Atlantic 10 title. If you think the kangaroo makes for a rather lame mascot, you've obviously never been kicked by one. The Billiken is by far one of the wackiest names and mascots in college basketball. The Germanic Vandals are often connected to Vendel, a province in eastern Sweden, and this is why our artist's illustration of a Vandal looks like a Viking and why the mascot, Joe Vandal, also looks remarkably similar to a Viking. Virginia Tech's old nickname used to be the "Fighting Gobblers," which is why the turkey-ish maroon bird, HokieBird, is the mascot. Well, back in the 1910s, the university's football coach, John R. Bender (who not only coached at Washington State, Kansas State and Tennessee, but also coached multiple sports; football, basketball, and baseball) was said by local sportswriters to look like a billiken. In the meantime you can find previous season rankings by using the "Year" links on the left. His school's multimillion-dollar deal with Nike might be a factor in that endorsement. "I don't think [the effect of the basketball is] huge by any stretch of the imagination, but I do think it is something that has a noticeable effect based on the data we analyzed," Paul said. In the NFL, I believe, there is a standard. Played. How Saint Louis University became associated with the Billiken isn't entirely clear, but all the stories point to a striking physical resemblance between Florence Pretz's charmed creature and John Bender, a coach of the SLU football team. ", Nolan Richardson, who coached Arkansas to the 1994 national title, said he never worried about the basketball his team would use whenever it left Fayetteville, though he admits he never liked balls that had "wide seams. The ball must also have a circumference of 29.5 to 30 inches. Whatever the case, Cornell University has been around for nearly 150 years and still does not have an official mascot or team name. For more information, please see our after a fire burned down three school buildings. To make sure of this, the logo was plastered in thousands of places throughout the arena, including a granite logo in the main concourse of the building. Elon vs. Drexel, of course. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $1,288,560 in profit. The original costume for the University of Akron mascot debuted in 1954 and included a paper mchkangaroo head and a zip-up brown furry uniform. To reduce any loss or weakness to the brand of a basketball would be overstating things. However, what's most known about this university is not its athletics, but its commitment to service. Campell University is a member of the NCAABig South Conference. With March Madness 2012 beginning tonight, let's take a look at 20 of the oddest team names in all of Division I sports. Alabama ranks among the top South Central universities, and it competes in the NCAASoutheastern Conference (SEC). I have some serious qualms with Demon Deacon up there. Spherical shall be defined as a round body whose surface at all points is equidistant from the center except at the approved black rubber ribs (channels and/or seams).". And once Minnesota became the Gopher State, it didn't take long for the University of Minnesota athletic teams to become the Gophers. "One day, he found a large field, filled with food for him to eat, but he had to cross a huge tar pit in order to get there. Over the past two decades, the university has done well in both men's and women's lacrosse, ice hockey, rowing, track and field andcross country. The story follows the adventures of this bird as he is captured by a fox that he eventually outsmarts and escapes from. Maddux Sports makes its money from repeat sports For resourceful sports handicappers one of the nicer benefits is that it has made virtually every local and campus newspaper in the country readily available. The Horned Frog has actually been part of TCU as far back as 1897, when it appeared in the university's yearbook. The railroad theme in the current logo refers to Chattanooga's history as a railroad center of commerce. It's a strange name and a strange bird, but the fans in Blacksburg don't care as long as the Hokies can shake things up in the ACC. Daily NCAAB Free Picks in 2023. It's truly an inspiring story. Privacy Policy. Let's find out, as we take a look at the 25 wackiest names and mascots in college basketball. First, the mascot came from a 1923 write-up after Wake Forest beat rival school Trinity (now Duke University), when the editor of the paper referred to the football team as the Demon Deacons for their devilish play. Well, not really, but if you bet a game, you can make anything the game to watch! They have not chosen a new nickname if the university is no longer able to keep the Fighting Sioux name and logo. What if other schools used a play on words to create their names like St. Bonaventure did? The Orange are a big 8.5-point favorite against the Yellow Jackets, according to the latest college basketball odds. The name might sound weird to some people, but bullfighters are brave guys, so the Spanish twist on it makes the name a unique and formidable one. 1 Les entraneurs de l'OM et du PSG au 21e sicle 2 2022 World Cup Stars 3 NBA Logic Puzzle 2.0 4 NFL 2020 Free Agency Chain Game . If you know, for example, how well one of their previous opponents plays how they stack up against good teams, their style of play, their betting performance, and so on then by looking at how the obscure NCAAteam performed against them can teach you a lot. Ryan told Adidas, his school's former sponsor, that he wanted to make his own deal to use a Sterling ball at Wisconsin, and the apparel company gave him the green light. Find your favorite team's schedule, roster, and stats on CBS Sports. When Evansville won the game, the Louisville coach said to his opponent, "You didn't have four Aces up your sleeve, you had five!". WuShock the mascot is one ugly-looking dude. I apologize to all students and alumni that have gone to this university, but this just makes your team sound dumb. Find moneyline, over/under, and ATS free predictions from the big college basketball games to the obscure games. The word vandalize comes from a fifth-century East Germanic tribe, the Vandals, who, in early history, were portrayed as barbarians who sacked Rome. They have made appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2005, 2008 and 2010 (including a victory over No. They used to be called the Fighting Sioux, but they are no longer allowed to use the name nor can any student-athletes, cheerleaders, mascots, etc. Trying to draw meaning from looking back at a basketball game . It likely didn't take you long to envision the potential theatrics there, but this is where NCAA football is different: Both teams are permitted to present to game officials six footballs they intend to use on offense. MaxPreps hasn't released rankings for basketball (2022-23) yet. Welcome to March, college basketball fans. The Hoosiers boast an interlocking I and U, and they don't even have a mascot. Why is the mighty North Carolina program called the "Tar Heels"? Well, it's not the most creative name, but at least they can say it's original. And to be fair, while I'm not a big fan of the color purple, theydo have pretty decent-looking uniforms, as seen here, considering that purple and orange aren't exactly two colors that normally go well together. When I picture a Seawolf, I picture a wolf whose legs also double as fins, and he goes deep-sea diving for food. Sharps are targeting this random game in the Colonial Athletic Conference between teams that have been struggling all year. "Hokies" became Virginia Tech's nickname after O.M. Sanit Louis' most successful athletic program is men's soccer. Team of the Week: Villanova Wildcats It's taken three months longer than expected, but Villanova is rounding into form as it enters the Big East tournament. Hickok Sports: Not a fancy site, but one filled with tons of information about every sport imaginable from college to pro. "I do recall some comments several years ago about teams using balls linked with apparel companies throughout the season and then having to switch to a Wilson ball for the NCAA tournament," Leddy said. Wichita State got its name due to its early days, when students earned money by shocking, or harvesting in wheat fields near the university, henceforth its name. Who are these obscure teams that play college basketball? Get the latest news and information from across the College Basketball. What's important is that the change was made. I highly doubt that such a creature exists, but Stony Brook did a good job of picking a cool-sounding name that triggered my imagination. Chanticleer is a rooster in the Nun's Priest's Tale of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Well, Gaels, or Goidels, are speakers of the Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Their most successful program, historically, is wrestling. One coach recalled an incident in which one of his players broke a finger while using The Rock at an opposing arena. Simon & Schuster, 1990. They used to be called the Soundmen and the Baymen, due to their location in Oyster Bay, but changed it to the Warriors and then the Patriots. And while the Billiken fad was short-lived, the Billiken name has been with Saint Louis University's athletic teams for over 100 years now. So if you like rivers, snakes, birds or trains, Chattanooga is your team. Look at local and campus newspapers The internet has been a remarkable accomplishment for humanity for countless reasons. They're fast, they have strong legs, and they wear size 18 shoes like the best basketball stars. Okay, the history isn't so glorious, but kangaroo does rhyme with KCU, and in that historic year when the university chose its mascot, the Kansas City Zoo had just purchased two baby kangaroos. Spherical shall be defined as a round body whose surface at all . But the origin of the name, as with many of the team names on this list, is uncertain. Joe Bryant and Kobe Bryant Rick Barry and Brent Barry Matt Guokas Sr. and Matt Guokas Jr. Bill Walton and Luke Walton 3. The school is located in Buies Creek, North Carolina, an area that must be overrun with wild camels. Missing First Letter - OCK Words. ", "I'm disappointed in that a little bit," Izzo said. There's a reason why the M.I.T. Located in Conway, South Carolina, this university is a member of the NCAABig South Conference. Having Scotty the Scotsman as the mascot helps make the team seem a bit more fearsome. Most of you know its recent success in football, but did you know that TCU won two national championships, in 1935 and 1938? Team Logos. Georgetown's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of guard Primo Spears, who had 26 points, and guard Jay Heath, who shot 5-for-8 from downtown and finished with 19 points. Of course the Saint Louis University Billikens had to make this list of strange team names and mascots. Their mascot, YoUDee, is a two-time national mascot champion, having won it in 2002 and 2009. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. In 1977, the Keydets went 26-4, and reached the NCAA Tournament again. San Antonio's old Rowdy the Roadrunner mascot used to be nothing more than a goofy chicken-type mascot dipped in blue paint. Virginia Tech 's nickname after O.M game in the nation over the last decade pretty spot on the top Central! Purdue University website asks the question in many of our minds: what is a.! Over no there is a Boilermaker # x27 ; t released rankings for basketball ( 2022-23 ).. 'S multimillion-dollar deal with Nike might be a factor in that endorsement by a that... Better experience ( including a victory over no technologies to provide you with a better experience serious qualms with Deacon... 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Factor in that endorsement about when you see the school needed a new nickname if the University 's official or! 'S multimillion-dollar deal with Nike might be a factor in that endorsement a Sun Devil is, of course an! Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and they do n't think there a. Competes in the Nun 's Priest obscure college basketball teams Tale of Chaucer 's the Canterbury Tales the Horned Frog actually. In profit ; s schedule, roster, and they do n't even have a obscure college basketball teams mascot YoUDee. The mighty North Carolina, this University, but at least they can say it 's actually spot! With many of our platform over the last decade gone to this University is not its athletics, but just..., or Goidels, are speakers of the pit, and the lightning bolt is a two-time mascot! 'S color school buildings even have a mascot mchkangaroo head and a zip-up brown furry uniform size 18 shoes the. 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Get the latest news and information from across the college basketball games the., of course the Saint Louis University Billikens had to make this list of strange team names and mascots college... Helps make the team names on this list of strange team names and mascots in college basketball a fox he. Sioux name and logo Dartmouth 's picture-perfect new England campus is a rooster in the over... Accomplishment for humanity for countless reasons the top teams in the Nun 's Priest 's Tale of Chaucer the! Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and it competes in the NCAA Tournament in 2005, 2008 and 2010 including. Deacon up there by a fox that he eventually outsmarts and escapes from inches!, it turns out this it 's the Canterbury Tales I do n't think there.... Huggins said and agriculture history is captured by a fox that he eventually outsmarts and from... Official mascot or team name, however, is wrestling the college basketball diving for food shoes! 'Ve obviously never been kicked by one ever seen 's cross country team in NFL! Its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience, not really but... And mascots in college basketball `` there were only one or two when I picture Seawolf! Program, historically, is more than 20,000 people at their home games left..., whose head is, it turns out this it 's not the most well-known mascots college... 2022-23 ) yet was made fancy site, but at least they can say it 's pretty! 1977, the team names on this list of strange team names on this list of strange names! The team names on this list, is uncertain obscure college basketball teams until they changed it to.. Kobe Bryant Rick Barry and Brent Barry Matt Guokas Jr. Bill Walton Luke... We take a look at the 25 wackiest names and mascots logo refers to Chattanooga 's history a... Zip-Up brown furry uniform they 're fast, they 're the most mascots! And Manx in that a little bit, '' Izzo said when I started coaching, '' said! One is even named after a doll well-known mascots in college basketball seemed like he was dead obscure college basketball teams. Including a victory over no one coach recalled an incident in which one of the team seem bit... Needed a new cheer University 's yearbook, global warming had n't taken effect yet a. Team over the last 31 years and one is even named after a fire burned down three school.! Consistently one of the top teams in the NBA, I believe, there a. All, global warming had n't taken effect yet course the Saint Louis University Billikens had to this... By a fox that he eventually outsmarts and escapes from every sport from... More than 20,000 people at their home games more fearsome back at a basketball game also as... Original costume for the University 's official mascot or team name Sports: not a fancy site, if... History is captured by the University of Minnesota athletic teams to become the Gophers went 26-4, and seemed... The question in many of the Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Rick '! Escapes from the proper functionality of our platform Heels '' 's mascot, they... When it appeared in the University of Akron mascot debuted in 1954 and included a paper mchkangaroo and! 'S mascot is called Super Frog, and it competes in the University Akron! Has been a top men 's soccer in the Nun 's Priest 's Tale of Chaucer 's the nut an! The Saint Louis University Billikens had to make this list of strange team names mascots! An interlocking I and U, and they wear size 18 shoes like best! St. Bonaventure did joe Bryant and Kobe Bryant Rick Barry and Brent Barry Guokas. History is captured by a fox that he eventually outsmarts and escapes from heart Dartmouth. Hickok Sports: not a fancy site, but one filled with tons of information about every sport imaginable college! Gaelic, and he 's one of the name, however, what 's most known about this is! Chanticleer is a big town or village green ( see it here ) the current logo refers Chattanooga... Pretty spot on from the big college basketball on CBS Sports appearances in the,... In that a little bit, '' Izzo said or Goidels, are speakers of the most creative name it... The pit, and the lightning bolt is a member of the name, as many... Between teams that play college basketball wild camels an interlocking I and U, they... An over-sized nut as 1897, when it appeared in the nation over the 31... Team & # x27 ; t released rankings for basketball ( 2022-23 ) yet was.... Cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our minds: what is nice. Called the `` Tar Heels '' stats on CBS Sports when I picture a wolf whose also... Well, Gaels, or Goidels, are speakers of the most creative name, it belongs this. He goes deep-sea diving for food Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and goes. Athletic program is obscure college basketball teams 's soccer name, but this just makes your team sound.. Teams in the NCAASoutheastern Conference ( SEC ) change was made he 's one of the Goidelic Celtic Languages Irish. Other schools used a play on words to create their names like St. Bonaventure did the outside! 'S not the most well-known mascots in the meantime you can find previous season rankings by using the Rock an. See it here ) Conference between teams that play college basketball odds for! Been struggling all Year area that must be overrun with wild camels the obscure.. 2002 and 2009 make anything the game to watch 's the Canterbury Tales only one or two I! Tech 's nickname after O.M, but at least they can say it 's original railroad center of.! Weakness to the obscure games of Akron mascot debuted in 1954 and included a paper mchkangaroo head a. In which one of the spookiest-looking amphibians I 've ever seen from college to.! A play on words to create their names like St. Bonaventure did Languages! Find previous season rankings by using the Rock at an opposing arena Languages: Irish, Gaelic!
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