SPORTS

Insider: The unexpected fame of IU's Tim Priller

Zach Osterman
zach.osterman@indystar.com
Freshman forward Tim Priller has become a fast celebrity early in the season.

BLOOMINGTON -- Tim Priller isn't sure how many nicknames he's got. The count is at three, at least.

Big Tim Priller might be the most straightforward. Uncle Tim and Shaggy (as in Scooby Doo) both appear to play off of Priller's permanent three-day beard, making him look older than his teammates and remarkably like the cartoon character.

"I hear (Shaggy) all the time," Priller said, laughing, after Indiana's season-opening win last week.

A 6-9 forward that's only been a Hoosier since committing during Little 500 weekend in April, Priller has more than just a few playful sobriquets following him around. Indeed, he's become a minor campus icon.

When he's subbed into games, IU students go nuts. When he touches the ball on offense, he does so to demanding cries to shoot. When a referee whistled him for two fouls in quick succession Monday night, the official found himself booed lustily.

And Priller's celebrity extends well beyond the grounds of Assembly Hall. During IU's season-opening win over Mississippi Valley State, he was mentioned so often on Twitter that he began trending – nationally.

"I don't know what it is, to be honest," he said, when asked why fans have taken such a fast liking to him. "That's pretty cool."

Students tweet frantically when they spot the lanky freshman on campus (he's recently been sighted in psychology class, and waiting for food at McNutt dormitory).

Indiana Hoosiers forward Tim Priller (35) runs up court during the second half against the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils at Assembly Hall. Indiana defeated Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils 116-65.

A local bar even printed shirts to hand out Thursday night that bore Priller's No. 35 on the front and the words "It's Priller Time" on the back. Indiana moved quickly to stop that, but the larger point remains: Has any other IU freshman become popular enough earn his own t-shirt yet?

"It's Uncle Tim. Big Tim Priller," fellow freshman forward Max Hoetzel said, smiling. "We all love him man."

Lost in the surprising adoration is what fans should expect of Priller on the floor this season.

A 3-point shooter by trade, Priller's only offer last fall came from Incarnate Word, a small school in his home state of Texas. Confident he could attract more high-profile programs, Priller waited until the spring, averaging more than 17 points per game and shooting 51 percent from behind the arc.

He's appeared in both of Indiana's games thus far, though playing time might be tougher to come by with the return of previously suspended teammates Emmitt Holt, Troy Williams and Stanford Robinson.

Since Indiana's preseason tour of Canada, Priller has repeated several times that defense and rebounding – and improving in both of those areas – are his key concerns.

"Rebounding is something we all definitely need to work on," Priller said. "Me personally, that's probably my biggest thing."

His coach expects his accuracy to be useful though too.

"There's going to be a night he's going to knock down a couple of threes and get hot," IU coach Tom Crean said. "That's one of the reasons we recruited him."

If that does happen, Priller might find himself trending a second time. He's already got the necessary fame.

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.