Remember the name.(college basketball player Ronny Turiaf)

Ronny Turiaf, F, Gonzaga

Big men aren't supposed to move as well as Gonzaga's Ronny Turiaf. But Turiaf isn't like most big men. In fact, there's almost nothing typical about him.

Turiaf, a 6-9, 240 sophomore, is the Zags' second-leading scorer (15.8 ppg) and rebounder (5.4) and leads them in blocks (1.4). He is a native of Le Robert, Martinique, a Caribbean island recognized as a region of France. He grew up playing soccer, tennis and swimming, but it wasn't until he was 14 that he discovered basketball.

A year later, he lit out for Paris to attend Insep, the National Institute of Sport. There he made un for lost time, learning the game and polishing his skills. In 2000, Turiaf teamed with current San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker to win the Under-18 European Championship for France.

Recruited by several Division-I programs, Turiaf passed on schools that offered lots of minutes right away, instead choosing Gonzaga because coach Mark Few's program had a familiar feel.

"It was the coaching staff, first of all," Turiaf says. "I like Gonzaga because they really focus on work. When I came for a visit, I thought it was like a European team."

Turiaf, who averaged 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds as a freshman, wasn't an immediate hit. But after adding nearly 20 pounds of muscle and improving his upper-body strength, he quietly has become the Zags' go-to guy despite coming off the bench in 11 of their first 12 games.