Forget about the best March Madness teams — these are the best player names

The lunacy of March Madness extends beyond buzzer-beaters and big-time upsets.

We’re talking creative player names.

The NCAA men’s tournament, which gave us God Shammgod and Chief Kickingstallionsims in previous years, will serve up a new list of unusual monikers as play begins this week.

Here are five of the best … with the stories behind them.

-- Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr., guard, Michigan State: A true double-threat. His given name evokes the memory of the late, great R&B singer, and his nickname comes from a character in the forgettable 1992 film “3 Ninjas.”

-- Seventh Day’Vonte Woods, guard, North Carolina: The freshman from South Carolina was born on Aug. 7. He wears No. 21 because, well, it’s a multiple.

-- Bam Adebayo, forward, Kentucky: The 6-foot-10, 260-pound freshman — whose real first name is Edrice — reportedly got that fitting handle as a toddler when he flipped over a coffee table while watching “The Flintstones” on television.

-- Scoochie Smith, guard, Dayton: His late grandfather named the Bronx-born senior for reasons that no one can quite recall. And no one calls him by his real name, Dayshon.

-- Chance Comanche, center, Arizona: Another strong combination. This freshman from Beverly Hills High School has Choctaw relatives in his family tree.

david.wharton@latimes.com

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