(Possibly Apocryphal) Scouting Report: A.J. Ogilvy

Position: C (Center)

Height: 6'11"

Weight: 250

Nickname(s): The Australian Sheik, Zombilvy, Uggs, Stinkmonster, the Sweat-Golem, Crocodile Dunk-ee

Strengths: Chippy-ness; finishing with either hand; mid-range shooting; growing facial hair; hustle; sweating; punking opposing centers; frustrating opposing coaches; frustrating Vandy fans; feeding off your blind xenophobia; handling passes in the paint.

Weaknesses: Finishing said passes in the paint; going hard to the rim in traffic, during fast-breaks, or in front of an audience; getting his yelling:rebounding ratio to even out; playing knifey-spoony; mastering the basic concepts of what hair and clothing choices a young man should make (see below).

Overview: A.J. Ogilvy is a bigger tease than your sophomore year girlfriend. Few other Vanderbilt players have been able to completely dominate games one week and then essentially disappear the next. If he's on, the 'Dores can simply feed him in the post and watch him go to work, as his back-to-the-basket game is one of the best in the NCAA - especially with his size and strength. He's a threat to spring for 20+ points on any given night with a combination of post moves and effectiveness from the free throw line; this makes it even more frustrating when he puts up a 2-8, 3-11, or even 0-4 night shooting from the field. 

Fun Fact: Despite being Australian, still does not fully understand the concept of the drinking game "Quarters."  Namely, the concept of removing the quarter from the beer once a shot is made. In a game with former roommate Keegan Bell, the big man ended up drinking seven Coors Lights and $3.50 in change before combing down his mustache and heading to The Stage.

Most embarrassing Google search result: Ugg! Our New Basketball Star - from the Sydney Morning Herald:

"They're these huge things, kind of like those boots the girls wear, but for guys. He lugs around in them and they come up to just below his knees.

"They've got cotton inside them with what looks like suede material on the outside. I've never seen anything like them."

That's right, our starting center - the source of toughness on the team - wears (or at least wore) Uggs. No word as to whether he pairs them with a jean skirt or just throws them on over a pair of tights during breezy spring Nashville days.

Bonus points for having an article simply dedicated to the highlights that A.J. has rocked in his hair during the 2010 season.

Best YouTube clip: Ogilvy puts back Jermaine Beal's miss to tie this year's Georgia game at Memorial with 15 seconds left.

Song Dedication: Not a song, but this clip explains everything I know about Australia and its culture.

Final word: Few players run the gamut of emotions with the fans quite like Andrew James Ogilvy. His impact on the team as a freshman has paved the way for major progress at Vanderbilt in the past two years, both on the court and in recruiting. Without him, this team isn't half the team it is today. If you're a Commodore fan he's nearly impossible not to like, but I'll be damned if you don't get frustrated by him pretty regularly. Still, he's an unquestioned leader of this team and could step up big time in the NCAA Tournament. He'll go down as one of the best centers this team has ever seen, and still has the chance to leave the Commodores as an All-American if he can put it all together his senior year.