The look of a winner: Marquette's Travis Diener appears more sidekick than star, but on the court there are few better leading men.(College Basketball)

You must want to hear about the beard. Of course, the beard. Those tiny sand-colored hairs protruding from his chin? Right. The beard has become an essential of Travis Diener's look. It is there as a challenge, an admonition to take him seriously. It is designed to make him appear less like an altar boy, though mostly he resembles an altar boy trying hard not in.

It has to start there with Diener. He does not fit the part of college basketball star. When casting an action hero, they don't search for pale, thin, callow. They want muscles. They want a strong chin that does not require adornment to convey masculinity. But here he is, going on three years now at ...