UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- The thing about nicknames is, they stick. It was with good intentions that assistant basketball coach Saddi Washington tried to change Jon Teske's nickname from "Big Sleep" to "Big Nasty" before last season. It was just too late.
Teske's teammates still call the 7-foot-1 center "Sleep." The purpose of the nickname, anyway, was to inject some confidence, some fire into Teske as he stepped into the rotation. Now a starter, Teske's teammates and coaches are still coaxing more out of him, even on the heels of a career performance.
"He's just so laidback," said Washington, who works with Michigan's big men.