Matt Haarms’ Hair: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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When Isaac Haas went down with an injury during the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Purdue was forced to turn to Matt Haarms to fill the void. Haarms has been up to the task so far, turning in a spectacular effort in the Boilermakers round of 32 victory over in-state rival Butler.

One thing was impossible to ignore during Haarms’ ascent into the college basketball spotlight, his sweet hairdo. However it’s not a new phenomenon, Haarms hairdo has had a own cult following long before the tournament started.

Here’s what you need to know:


1. Haarms Kept Adjusting His Hair During The Game Against Butler


It was somewhat of a distraction for Haarms, but it quickly turned him into a social media celebrity. During Purdue’s win over Butler in the round of 32, Haarms received increased playing time due to an injury to Purdue’s starting center Isaac Haas. But the extra time on the floor did not help Haarms’ hairdo, which kept falling out of place, causing constant fidgeting and adjusting.

“I like my hair,” Haarms told the Indy Star. “You’ve just go to go out there and rock it confidently.”


2. His Hair Has Its Own Twitter Account


His hair has had a cult following long before the NCAA Tournament started. Purdue fans started a twitter account dedicated to Haarms’ hairdo. The first tweet was back on Feb. 3. Despite his hair getting a lot of air time in the NCAA Tournament, it hasn’t equaled followers for the twitter account, which has yet to reach 200. Perhaps a run to the Final Four could give this creative social media parody account a boost.


3. Haarms Has A Pregame Hair Routine


It’s quite the process. Before each game, Haarms showers and shampoos, using premium product, then he pulls out the blow dryer, something his teammates obviously give him a hard time over. It’s a process that takes a lot of time, and some faith.

“It’s a lot of prayer involved,” he said to the Indy Star, “just to hope that it’ll stay in.”

After a thorough cleaning and drying, then it’s gel time.

“Then you apply product, generously, as much as you can … it’s a lot. A lot goes in there,” he told the Indy Star. “Then you just hope it stays. I sweat a lot.”


4. He Has Considered Wearing A Headband

View this post on Instagram

It's finally official ?? #boilerup #boilerball

A post shared by Matt Haarms (@matthaarms) on Nov 9, 2016 at 11:51am PST


Considering how much he sweats, a headband would make sense, but Haarms is weary of how that would come across. Haarms told the Indy Star he is worried about stereotypes that come “with a white guy and a head band,” which means it’s up to the hair gel to do its job. As to which product Haarms uses, he isn’t revealing his gel or spray sources just yet. Probably smart considering there is probably a nice endorsement deal waiting for him after he leaves Purdue.


5. Haarms Is From Amsterdam


It’s been quite the ride for the international sensation, who was a member of the U-18 Dutch National Team during his prep days overseas. According to his Purdue bio, Haarms is just the sixth international player to suit up for Purdue since the 1951-52 season. He is also an exceptional student and scored a 30 on his ACT in high school.