Montana Mookie Blaylock
So it turns out Jeff Ament, founding member of Pearl Jam, went to Montana. He even played some hoops there before leaving when the school reportedly got rid of their graphic design program. That helps explain why Pearl Jam was originally called Mookie Blaylock, after the NBA star at that time. Mookie played at Oklahoma and never played in Seattle, where Pearl Jam formed. So, presumably, they just thought Mookie Blaylock was a great band name. For legal concerns, the band changed their name to Pearl Jam.
But that got me thinking about what recent or current college hoopsters would make a good band name. I think I’ve been forced to watch too much Parks & Rec, but here is what I would name my band. Tops on my list is The Robo Kreps, which would obviously be a bad techno band. While the former Illinois-Chicago leading scorer sounds like a cool Eastern European, his real name is Robert Kreps, which makes him sound like a dentist from Forsyth, Illinois.
Drey Mingo has to be on that list too. The Purdue women’s hoopster is a senior power forward who is currently ranked #45 on the The Madness’ WNBA Draft Profile rankings. Drey Mingo would have to be a chick garage band.
For those who prefer something a little softer, you could go with the soothing 60’s folk sound of Shurna and Mirkovic. That is a good duo, with all due respect to Mirkovic whose solo career would just be awful. We all know he is nothing without Shurna.
For the twangy, hillbilly fans, there would be the Plumlee Brothers Band. And of course The Fab Melo’s, whose wide array of covers could be heard at the HoJo’s by the airport.
Read the in-depth men’s basketball preview for this team
