NIU basketball coach Rob Judson has one problem with the Snoopy tattoo on James Hughes’ right arm.

Because Hughes, a 6-foot-10 redshirt freshman, never cries around his mom, she gave him the nickname Joe Cool. But Judson doesn’t want his starting center to be “cool.”

“Coach Judson wants me to be Joe Mean this year,” Hughes said.

Hughes is on the right path after putting on 30 pounds of muscle during his redshirt year. Now at 225 pounds, Hughes got his first collegiate start on Nov. 26 against Illinois State. He didn’t disappoint with 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks in just 22 minutes.

But does the NIU coaching staff think opposing MAC teams will look at NIU’s tallest player and the sunglasses-wearing dog and not take him seriously?

“If you come out there and just see a guy with a Snoopy tattoo and you don’t respect him – and especially James – then you’re going to be in for a long night,” assistant coach Donald Whiteside said. “That’s what we are hoping the other teams are thinking.”

Taking Hughes as a joke on the court is not a good idea. Off the court, it’s another story.

“He’s a really bright person and very perceptive,” Judson said. “He sees little things, then makes comments. That’s why he’s so funny.”

Teammates consider Hughes a practical joker. Living on the third floor of Stevenson Tower D, the 20-year-old Hughes never has a dull moment with suitemates – and teammates – Todd Peterson and Anthony Maestranzi.

Hughes’ roommate, Rome Sanders, recalled one night when Hughes was up to no good.

“He’s always got funny jokes,” Sanders said. “James [sent an instant message to] Anthony one night pretending to be a girl we know. He was saying, ‘I think you’re real sexy and hot.’ He was right next door with the door open, and Anthony didn’t even know it was him.”

Reflecting on the moment, an embarrassed Maestranzi admits he called the girl he thought he was talking to.

“It was just someone I shouldn’t have called at 10:30 at night,” Maestranzi said. “James is just a goofy guy and never really in a bad mood.”

In fact, he doesn’t even get angry when he sees competition move in on his turf.

Six-foot-nine Jonathan Byrd transferred to NIU this summer from West Plains Junior College. A post player, Byrd’s move to DeKalb means a possible deduction in Hughes’ playing time, but the thought never crossed his mind.

“The first day Byrd came on campus, James was helping bring his stuff in,” Whiteside said. “Nothing went through his mind about competition or anything. He just thought that this was a new teammate that he was trying to help.

“If he’s not in the game, he’s rooting for who’s on the court,” Whiteside added. “He typifies the type of guys we want out there. All the good qualities that you can say about any guy, James has got it.”