First, this is not an April Fool’s joke … it happened yesterday and I think Bill Stewart was entirely unaware of the significance contained in today’s date and that people would think he was fooling around. Rather, I think he was looking for a way to add a good player to his roster.

Coach Bill Stewart said he’d like to talk with Bob Huggins about having his point guard, Joe Mazzulla, join the football team.

“Put this in the paper,” he said following the first post-spring break practice. “I’m going to call Bobby when he gets back in town. He’s out of town now, but when he gets back, I’m going to see if it’s OK. I’d love to have him out here.”

Stewart was asked where the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Mazzulla would play.

“Wherever he wants,” said Stewart, who was won over by Mazzulla’s hustle and determination, which included his collision with a courtside table in the Sweet 16 game against Xavier.

Stewart watched the NCAA Tournament games and was sick to his stomach when the season ended the way it did in the Sweet 16. He surely made note of Mazzulla’s hands and footwork, to say nothing of his to-hell-with-the-other-guy mentality.

I don’t think Mazzulla ever played organized football and if he did, it was limited and it was in Rhode Island, so he’s not long on experience.

Let’s be honest, too. The way the seasons overlap, it’s probably not happening. There’s no way Mazzulla plays football and rejoins the basketball team in January. If he did give football an abbreviated shot, he’s obviously not starting and probably not playing a key role. If he does, the football team is in trouble … or Mazzulla is, in fact, Superman.

Any attempt by Mazzulla is to see what it’s like and, just maybe, line up something for later in life. Say basketball doesn’t work out, at least he’s got some experience, some tape, some recommendations so that he might take a stab at football. There’s something to that concept. Jarmon Durisseau-Collins toyed with the idea after his senior season of basketball and, if memory serves me correctly, was this close to coming out that spring to play cornerback. Basketball skills carry to football. Not completely, but there is a correlation. Isn’t that right, Antonio Gates?

Mazzulla is bigger than Durisseau-Collins — he’s listed at 6-2 and 210 pounds, which is probably pretty close to accurate — and he’s a really good athlete. High school track star, great conditioning, endless energy and — do not underestimate this — absolutely crazy. But he’s smart, too, and while football is complicated, particularly at this stage, it would not be impossible. Not with his combination of abilities. 

At the worst, he’s a special teams demon who makes tackles, pressures punters and obliterates wedges. He’s got receiver size and, again, the physical skills do match up a little. He could probably run good routes and catch the ball, and I’m guessing he could learn to read a defense. Cornerback would be interesting, too. Man-to-man defense is at least similar and Mazzulla would take pride in shutting down his guy. Safety might be the best spot. He’s got the size and the speed and he’d love to light people up in the middle of the field.

If nothing else, Huggins gets a tougher Mazzulla in return, which is kind of scary.