North Carolina and Gonzaga's bench players are magnificently interesting

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The stars will be on the court for tipoff at 9:20 p.m. ET Monday when North Carolina plays Gonzaga for the national championship. But some of the most compelling stories and quirky facts are on the bench.

Of the 30 players expected to suit up, none has played less than Gonzaga's Rem Bakamus, who also happens to be among the most beloved players at the Final Four.

Bakamus, a fifth-year senior guard, has logged just 29 minutes on the court this season. But his choreographed handshakes used during pregame introductions — and his the Fabio-long hair he wears in a man bun — have turned him into one of Gonzaga's fan favorites.

To perfect his craft, he said he has studied the handiwork of the New York Giants and Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I wish I could dance like Odell Beckham because then I would have some really good handshakes,’’ he said, referring to the Giants’ star wide receiver. “All his handshakes are cool, and the Cavs. They all got really cool ones.’’

Bakamus will be king of the reserves Monday, but both teams’ benches go deep with fun facts. To wit:

►Rui Hachimura, a freshman forward for Gonzaga, is only of only five Japanese-born men to play Division I basketball. He offered a pregame prediction in Japanese, translated in English.

“We gonna win tomorrow’s game and we gonna be the champion tomorrow,’’ he said.

►Dustin Triano, a junior guard for Gonzaga, lists his hometown as Vancouver, primarily because few people can pronounce his real hometown, Tsawwassen of British Columbia. (Good luck, linguists.)

And if you think it’s hard to pronounce, well, Triano added, “Nobody can spell Tsawwassen.’’

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Which is why the good people of Tsawwassen, the waterside town of about 21,000 and only one high school, won’t give Triano a hard time. “They understand,’’ he said. “Small town, nobody knows what it means.’’

►Kanler Coker, a senior guard for North Carolina, not only rides the bench, but also rides a unicycle.

►Shea Rush, a freshman forward for North Carolina, is a future playmaker and a present-day hatmaker. He makes fedoras and outfitted the entire North Carolina team with their own hats.

But in pregame introductions, it’s Bakamus who will play the starring role. He said he hasn’t seen North Carolina’s handshake repertoire and isn’t sweating it.

Spoken like a seasoned starter, Bakamus said, “I just worry about myself. I don’t worry about the competition.’’

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