You already know Duke, Xavier, Butler and even Austin Peay.
But when the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament’s round of 64 begins Thursday, fans can begin familiarizing themselves with a host of less familiar, more playful names: Scoochie. Yogi. Tubby. Tum Tum.
Middle Tennessee State has brought a Giddy, and Weber State will have a Dusty. Arizona’s gregarious assistant coach is a Harlem native nicknamed Book. If Texas Tech advances, some of the credit will surely go to Pooh.
The history of basketball has always been colorfully interwoven with imaginative nicknames — monikers that could instantly summon wonder (Magic), prompt a smile (Pickles) or trigger a craving (Jellybean).