It is hard to miss Ryzin "Biggie" Bergersen when he is on the basketball court.

He doesn't stand out as the most athletic player or as the leading scorer, but if you watch a Northwest Nazarene men's basketball game you will absolutely know which player he is.

And it's all because of his hair.

The Nighthawks fifth-year senior has been dying his hair different colors and patterns for three years, helping make him stand out for more than just his basketball skills.

"I've always been a buzz cut guy my whole life, but I got bored," he said. "I wanted to switch it up. I think it is important to be yourself and not let anyone else tell you what to do and just be yourself."

Bergersen and the Nighthawks (18-6 overall, 11-5 GNAC) have clinched a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament and will wrap up the regular season with road games Thursday at Simon Fraser and Saturday at Western Washington.

His hair-story began at Clippers Hair Design, a Boise barbershop owned by Chris Crawford, a long-time family friend.

"It has been an awesome experience," Crawford said. "I've known this kid since he was little and for him to step out of his comfort zone – it is different. I was thrilled about it. We've done some crazy stuff on his head."

The pair have concocted many different styles on the short-haired Bergersen's head: bleached, red, half red and half bleached, tiger spots, red and black circles and plenty more.

"Being Biggie's roommate for years, it was always fun to see the latest hair color reveal," said Jaylen Fox, who played at NNU and graduated in 2024. "It shows his personality and just who he is if you know him."

Crawford's favorite look was one with white and black tiger stripes, while Fox couldn't pin down his favorite. For Bergersen's part, his favorite is a nod to a long-time fan of his.

"My favorite is a little shout to (NNU assistant coach and former player) Kobe Terashima's grandmother. She likes the half bleach, half red down the middle," Bergersen said. "I think that is my favorite – and she says I play my best when I have it."

His hair color certainly makes him stand out, but it shouldn't take away from what he has accomplished on the court.

Bergersen made a name for himself during his junior season when he was the most valuable player of the GNAC tournament, helping the Nighthawks win their first GNAC title and earn their second NCAA Division II national tournament berth.

He averaged 16.7 points per game during that run, shooting 12-of-16 from beyond the arc. 

While that tournament – and season – may have appeared to come out of nowhere after Bergersen rarely played his first two years in Nampa, it wasn't a surprise to those who knew him best or himself.

"My motto was to trust the process – trust the coaches and continue to believe in myself, but at the same time have the humility to keep working and focusing on getting better," he said after appearing in just four games as a freshman and 12 games as a sophomore. "I didn't take days off. After every game, I'd get shots up. It was a realization that not everything is easy and not everything is going to be given to you.

"I stayed ready the whole time and that is what helped me take off and take on whatever responsibility I needed to."

Some of that new responsibility has been helping the program transition head coaches after Paul Rush was promoted to athletic director and Jon Hawkins moved up from head assistant to head coach. Bergersen has also been forced into more of a vocal leadership role this season.

"With so many new guys from last year, everyone looks up to Big because of his consistent approach," said Hawkins, whose team features six transfers this season. "He impacts the program in so many ways, which is why I can't ever take him off the floor.

"I saw a big change in his leadership last season in regard to being vocal and using his IQ to fix problems before they happen."

The team has achieved significant success this season. With 18 wins secured, hitting 20 would place them among the elite, marking only the second time since 2001 that the program has done so. At home, they boast a 14-1 record. Bergersen has also etched his name in program history, ranking within the top 50 for total points with 904 and he stands seventh in program history for three-pointers, totaling 172.

"I saw his work ethic and hours spent in the gym up close for years and that combined with his competitiveness, I knew he'd be successful," Fox said. "The best thing about being his teammate was his ability on and off the court to keep things relaxed and fun. You never saw him nervous, rattled, or down on the court; and off the court, he's that guy that everyone's going to his room on road trips to play video games and hang out."

And while Bergersen is most easily recognized because of the color of his hair, it is those other attributes that he will take him with when he walks off the court for the last time this spring.

"I know this kind of cliché, but just being able to push through hard times is what I've really learned at NNU," he said. "I have matured so much in these five years – I truly became a man and I will forever be grateful for that.

"I can't say enough to repay the staff and my teammates throughout the years."