Ah yes, it’s tournament time, which means it’s time for college kids you wouldn’t otherwise know to become household names for a few weeks. You know? Something like the Stephen Curry wave of popularity, something he derived from being able to shoot a basketball better than most. One player poised to fill Curry’s shoes is Ohio State Buckeyes stud, Evan Turner.

Yes, even though Turner’s probably college basketball’s Player of the Year — thanks in large part to this exclamation point — outside of the hardcore basketball heads and Ohio State fans, your average Joe would, in all likelihood, respond with a quizzical “Who?” if you started talking about how awesome a player he is. Thanks to the Big Dance, and provided the Buckeyes can survive the opening weekend, any ignorance concerning Turner should be cleared up by the time the first weekend of the tournament is over.

Of course, if folks like President Obama continue to namedrop Turner, it might not take that long before he becomes a trendy topic outside of the normal college basketball circles.

During a health care speech in Ohio, President Obama complimented Ohio State on their Big Ten tournament title, which led nicely to an Evan Turner mention:

President Obama: Hello, Ohio! (Applause.) It is good to be here in the Buckeye State. Congratulations on winning the Big Ten Championship. (Laughter.) I’m filling out my brackets now. (Laughter.) And it’s even better to be out of Washington for a little while.

Audience: O-H-I-O.

President Obama: Yes, that kid Turner looks pretty good. You guys are doing all right.

If Turner continues to hit 45-foot game winners, the Buckeyes will be doing a damn-sight better than “all right.” In fact, performances like that might spell the downfall of a tournament favorite like the Kansas Jayhawks.

Where do you have the Buckeyes finishing their season? Can they make it to the Final Four or will Georgetown or Kansas be their undoing?

Speaking of Final Fours, it’s time for a shameless plug: Be sure to join the Intentional Foul Bracket Challenge over at Yahoo.com (PW: letmein). The winner receives a Bacon Explosion, and the chance of which is reason enough to enter.