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Ex-Kentucky center changes name to Willie 'Trill' Cauley-Stein

Ex-Kentucky center changes name to Willie 'Trill' Cauley-Stein

No longer will Willie Cauley-Stein merely be known as the most versatile defender in this year's NBA draft.

Now the former Kentucky 7 footer also is receiving attention for an unusual name change.

Cauley-Stein has filed an order to legally change his middle name to "Trill," his mother told the Lexington Herald-Leader on Monday. Marlene Stein told the newspaper that her son's full name now is Willie "Trill" Cauley-Stein because "Trill" is the "nickname his 'boys' call him."

Cauley-Stein was actually born "Willie Durmond Cauley Jr." but his father fell out of his life when he was young. He has gone by Willie Cauley-Stein since enrolling at Kentucky in order to honor his mother, but he hadn't filled out the paperwork to legally change his name until now.

The name change is fitting for a player with a reputation for being a free spirit. Cauley-Stein still has room for growth offensively, but his ability to finish at the rim, attack the glass and defend multiple positions gives him a good chance to be a lottery pick next month.

The only downside to Cauley-Stein's new name is that he didn't go all the way with it. How great would it be to hear NBA commissioner Adam Silver introduce him as "Trill Cauley-Stein" when he gets drafted?

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!