No he isn’t.. is he?

Have you seen Seth Tarver? He plays basketball.

Basketball players are the big men on campus. Literally. Every player is a behemoth. Each only taller than the next. As every year passes players seem to continue to gain mass, like a black hole.

They crave attention. They love the limelight. All five of them on the court at once – it’s like a circus. Games should be in a tent, not an arena. It’s chest pounding after dunks, leaving the hand hanging after a three, and blowing kisses at the rim before free throws. They don’t want to be in the show, they are the show.

It’s the greatest show on hardwood. There should be a guy in the rafters with a spotlight dropping confetti after every bucket with a fireworks display at the half. That’d be fun.

Then after the game each player would have their own comments. No mention of team, sacrifice, or defense.

“I played hard.” Or “I scored a lot” Or “I helped us win.”

Then it’s dinner and a party then to another party. It would be a great life to be a basketball player. Skee-Lo had it right.

That’s when you sit down for a meal with Seth Tarver. Probably at Shari’s. You’ll realize, sure he throws an orange ball in a hoop, but, he’s not really a basketball player.

Sure, he’s tall. The bike he bought a year ago doesn’t fit him because he’s too long and, if he had a car, he could drive from the backseat. But he doesn’t fit any of the criteria.

He’s bulked up in the off-season, but take a good look at the 6-foot-5, 205 pound sophomore, he is lean and cut, not bulky. Kind of skinny in a way. It’s been said that he can hide behind a sapling. Or as Jim Murray would say, “A steamroller would miss most of him.” He’s too skinny for football and too tall for baseball — unless he is a lefty with a curveball that like’s to explode fowl.

Basketball player, what basketball player? He doesn’t sound like one or speak like one. The vernacular is reminiscent of someone who has spent his life on the court but he has great sentence structure and pacing. No filler in his sentences. He could probably take my job at KBVR.

He doesn’t crave attention, just a meal from Shari’s. Doesn’t live like the world revolves around him. Doesn’t buy into this whole basketball circus life. No shenanigans on the court just hard play. He doesn’t argue about practice because practice makes perfect. He has that thing called integrity and common sense. Team rules and conduct aren’t a problem. No partying? That’s fine.

Seth doesn’t party, doesn’t drink. Says he’s not thirsty enough. No groupies allowed here. He has one girlfriend, that’s all. They probably hold hands while they share a milkshake. On Halloween, he was at home by eleven. Eleven?! Nine year olds aren’t home by eleven.

He treats every person like they were imperative to his success on the court, even nosey columnists. And always answers every question to the best of his ability, apologizing if he can’t articulate or give a good enough answer.

“I don’t know, man. Sorry.” Tarver said, “You aren’t going to quote me, are you?”

Never, Seth!

But Seth, what Oregon State basketball player apologizes? Sasa Cuic never apologized. Neither did Kenny Hooks — and he was nice! What are you thinking?

Seth always has an introspective look on his face, like he is reading a book on the back of his eyelids. Even on his bio, his picture looks like he is deep in some metaphors. But that’s what he does off the court.

Humble pie is his diet. Look up his name in the dictionary and it’s a one word definition. Character. Even though he won the Slats Gill award for pride, the fans would never know it. It’s not about him, it’s about the team. A contributor and a distributor. Basketball player? He doesn’t even come close to fitting the criteria. No bulky body, no pizzazz on the court or trouble off it and no huge head.

Then again, maybe that is what the Oregon State Beavers need after last season. They need a character guy, a starter who isn’t about himself. They need someone who doesn’t want to be THE guy but someone who is about the team and about winning.

Last season it seemed like there were a few faces that wanted to be in the spotlight. Be the star. Have a reputation as a giant on the court. This season, hopefully Seth Tarver can influence some of the new teammates.

As John Wooden said, “It is amazing how much can be accomplished when no one cares who get the credit.”