Happy March Madness, everyone! How’s your bracket doing? JK, nobody cares. Since your bracket is busted, let’s go back to a happier time and do every man’s favorite hobby, name old athletes whose names make us happy.
Since it’s March Madness, let’s name former college basketball players: OJ Mayo, Jimmer Fredette, Lee Tyler Hansbrough. Ok, that’s not fun, let’s add a theme. “Top 5 Former College Basketball Players who seemed like they played for 10 years.”
But Eric, you just said Hansbrough. He played 4 years! Yeah, but he was good all 4 years, national player of the year…. We are trying to find the guys who make you go, “Oh, he’s still here?”
OLI – Luke Harengody, Notre Dame – He weighed 300 pounds. Had a dumb haircut. Never got to the Sweet 16. Early exit in every NCAA tournament from 2005-2015.
Honorable mention – Joe Krabbenhoft, Wisconsin – Don’t quote me on this, but when he retired from Westconsin, Kelby’s boy was the NCAA all-time leader in games played. (While we are on the subject, how did he never win a State Championship? You are the highest recruit in South Dakota history and can’t win a simple Class AA title? There’s only 16 teams, they practically give them away.)
5. Drew Neitzel, Michigan State – If you asked me if Drew Neitzel was on the 2000 National Championship team, I would have said, “Yes, he was a freshman.” If you asked me if Drew Neitzel was on the 2009 National Runner-Up team, I would have said “Yes, he was a senior.” You ready for this spoiler? He wasn’t on either team. Michigan State just always has a shaved head point guard.
4. Aaron Craft, The Ohio State – You know when you accidentally bite the inside of your cheek, and you try to ignore the cut, and it’s small, but annoying…just doesn’t go away. That’s Aaron Craft. For four long years the man fouled his way into our hearts and acted like he did nothing wrong. Now I know he only played 4 years. However, I get reminded of him every year at The Basketball Tournament (TBT), and it brings back the anger I have for him. It’s like he never left.
3. Yogi Ferrell, Indiana – Yogi might be the most controversial on the list because he had a NBA career (short, but nonetheless made it to the league). But, he perfected the “he’s still playing?” career. As a Freshman he was the X Factor on the best Indiana team since the Hoosiers ‘87 national championship team. Forgettable sophomore and junior years. As a Senior, I watched him live at the B1G Ten Tourney and said, ”Oh, hey, Yogi Ferrell is still around.”
2. Perry Ellis, Kansas – Perry Ellis is just a meme at this point. He looks like he’s 45 years old and has played on every Kansas team in those 45 years. Lol funny, right? Low hanging fruit that anyone can make a joke of. When Armando Bacot announced he was coming back to North Carolina for a 5th year, he did so by posting a picture of Perry Ellis. It’s a little funny, but if everyone makes the same joke it loses its power.
1. Robbie Hummel – Riddle me this, Batman. “Does Robbie Hummel STILL play for Purdue?” A question people have been asking for years! It’s me, I’m people. I’ve been tweeting out this joke for close to ten years, and it gets funnier every time. I think Robbie had a redshirt and a medical redshirt while he was an All-American. Poor guy lost his super powers (ACLs) and finished his senior year as a regular player. His career might not have gone exactly how he wanted, but he can rest easy knowing he is the captain and namesake of the bteamballer “Does Robbie Hummel still play for Purdue?” All-Star team.
bteamballer 