An unforeseen Defensive Player Of The Year

Victor Oladipo and Jeff Withey share the current NABC Defensive Player of the Year award, and surely they deserve it. But there's another award given to the best defender in NCAA Division I men's basketball season: it's the Lefty Driesell Award, created three years ago by CollegeInsider.com.

Since then, it twice recognized the same player picked by the NABC (Jarvis Varnado, the NCAA Division I all-time blocks leader, and Anthony Davis), while twice the voters' choice has been different: Kent Bazemore in 2011 and Tommy Brenton about two months ago.

A 6-5 power forward with a strong physique and a really good footwork, Tommy Brenton completed his college career as a redshirt senior at Stony Brook University. He's not a trend pick when it comes to think of the best defender in college basketball, both because he went unnoticed in the America East Conference and because his defensive stats don't jump off the chart; this is pretty remarkable: it's really hard to find a player rewarded for his defensive ability without a sort of statistical approvement, and Brenton isn't at the top of defensive stats rankings in Division I (even though he averaged 1.6 steals per game, a top five in the America East). How has he been able to achieve this result?

First of all, he's a physical and incredibly intense player, an hard worker willing to play through contact and use his body in the right way; and, even more important, he has an high basketball IQ, that appears to be outstanding on the defensive end.

These characteristics translate in a very good rebounding ability: he has sense of position and great fundamentals, being probably one of the nation's top rebounders in terms of pure technique. And, averaging 6 defensive rebounds per game, he was a major factor in a Stony Brook team that controlled the defensive glass in order to avoid extra possessions, not allowing opponents to get the offensive rebound.

More significant, Stony Brook went 23-6 in regular season, holding opponents to an astonishing 37.8% from the field and allowing them to score only 0.89 points per possession: in fact Brenton was the anchor in team's system, the best defender in one of the best defensive team in Division I.

While he's not a vertical player he's almost perfect in defensive rotations, being able to defend the pick and roll by help and recover with a very impressive timing and being a legit threat in help defense, where he's a master at taking a charge; he has the right footwork and fundamentals to be effective both in the paint and when switches on the perimeter, with a good reactivity and assertiveness where it comes to slide; he has a nose for the ball, a good ability for stealing it or get the rebound; and he has a 'Brockmanesque' aptitude for the hustle.

Unfortunately Stony Brook, a team with an undoubtful upset potential, missed its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, losing to Albany in an heartbreaking road game and entering the postseason relatively underrated. That didn't stop coach Pikiell and his players from upsetting UMass in NIT first round, grabbing their first-ever NCAA postseason win with a great defensive game and Brenton leading the way with six point, six rebounds, seven assists (yes, he's a phenomenal passer too) and four steals; they lost to eventual finalist Iowa in second round.

Why this text? I decided to figuratively pick up the pen and write down something about Tommy Brenton because I think he's a little underrated and his reward as a top defensive player in NCAA a little unmarked; I also think that is somehow important to underline the way a national award has been given to a player whose contribution has been well over his defensive stats (by the way, unfortunately I'm not his agent, if you are wondering about this).

Anyway, if you liked Brenton and Stony Brook be sure not to miss next year's Vermont and Brian Voelkel. America East will strike back.