One-Bid Wonders

Tommy Brenton’s no-look pass to Jameel Warney was the number two play on Sports Center’s Top 10.

(Amherst, MA) – It will be a long time before the pain of falling short of the NCAA Tournament fully goes away for Stony Brook (if ever). But Wednesday night went a long way towards softening the sting of heartbreak and restoring the shine to a historic season for the Seawolves.

Playing on the road against second-seed UMass in the opening round of the NIT Tournament, the Seawolves thoroughly out-hustled and out-played the Minutement to pull off a resounding 71-58 win.

“It was a great win for us,” Stony Brook coach Steve Pikeill said. “I’m real proud. This is a good basketball team.”

“We got beat by a team that was better than us this evening,” said UMass head coach Derek Kellogg.

Stony Brook guards Anthony Jackson and Dave Coley scored 20 points a piece to pace the Seawolves and lead all scorers, shooting a combined 16-of-25 from the floor. Sensational freshman center Jameel Warney added 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting – among them several rim-rattling dunks – and two blocks.

Playing in what could have been the final game of his career, senior point-forward Tommy Brenton added seven assists, six rebounds, six points and four steals, but his impact was far larger than his raw production. The player responsible for changing the trajectory of Stony Brook basketball did what he has always done in his career: Brenton threw jaw-dropping passes and elbows, took charges, mixed-it-up in the scrum, aggravated and instigated against the bigger Minutement and was the engine that powered the Seawolves to the win.

“I like hitting people and I like being hit. Physicality is part of my game,” said Brenton in perhaps the understatement of the century.

Stony Brook got back to their program staples: Dominating the low-blocks and defending every inch of the hardwood. The Seawolves shot 51.8 percent from the floor (29-of-56) and 41.7 percent from behind the arc while suffocating the Minutement into just 36.7 (22-of-60) and 23.1 percent (6-of-26), respectively.

Stony Brook forced 19 UMass turnovers, turning them into 23 points (compared to UMass’ 10 points off turnovers). The Seawolves also dictated the pace of the game, while flat-out playing harder than the Minutemen.

“They executed their game plan very well,” said Kellogg. “They seemed more energized and quicker to the ball. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t have a little more scrap and toughness and fight.” (more…)

Stony Brook senior Tommy Brenton pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, but scored just six points on 2-of-6 shooting while dishing out only one assists, and the top-seeded Seawolves were upset 61-59 by Albany in the semifinals of the America East Tournament (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Albany, New York) – Tommy Brenton said it all – and likely far more than the Stony Brook’s senior forward and the America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year meant to imply.

Two and a half hours earlier, the Seawolves had already all but been anointed America East Champions — Stony Brook was not simply the number one seed in the conference tournament, but The Number One Seed: the most dominant team to come through the league since the 2005 Cinderella Vermont Catamounts, the Seawolves’ semifinal matchup against the University Albany was a mere formality and an America East Championship and NCAA Tournament berth a foregone conclusion.

Now, Brenton was being asked – more precisely baited – by a Long Island reporter, if Albany’s hosting the tournament – and playing what was in essence a home game against the highest seed – put added pressure on the Seawolves and played a role in the Great Danes’ 61-59 last-second shocker.

“It’s no added pressure for us: we’ve won on the road all year long,” said Brenton, the Seawolves’ senior captain, heart, soul and emotional center, before adding “it was just another game.”

Without intending it, Brenton hit the cause of the Seawolves’ heartbreaking fall right on the head: While Albany amped-up its energy and ratcheted up its intensity to match the magnitude of the moment, Stony Brook played as if it was just another game.

When Stony Brook took the floor 30 minutes prior to tip-off, there wasn’t any of cocky swagger that has been a Stony Brook staple all season long, or the electric our season comes down to this game and we’ll be damned if we’re going home energy that has defined the post season runs of previous America East Tournament Champions (most notably 2005 Vermont, 2002 BU, 2006 Albany and 2008 UMBC).

From the opening tip until just under three minutes remained in the game, the top-seed Seawolves played like they had nothing to lose — in the worst possible way: without passion, purpose, or a sense of urgency. By the time the Seawolves returned to coherence, realizing their NCAA Tournament-or-bust season was on the brink, rattling off a 17-7 run, it was too late.

With 7.3 seconds remaining, Albany point guard Mike Black refused a ball screen at the top of the key, crossed over from his left to his right and beat Stony Brook freshman Carson Puriefoy off the dribble to the hoop, kissing his right hand floater off the glass and in with 2.3 seconds left, for the win. (more…)

(Albany, New York) — If one sequence encapsulates the experience of both teams in Saturday’s quarterfinal between No. 1 Stony Brook and No. 8 Binghamton, it would be from a play that occurred just after the under-12 minute media timeout in the first half. Stony Brook reset its offense after a Jameel Warney offensive rebound of a missed Tommy Brenton free throw. Brenton, upon receiving the ball in the high post, immediately throws a bounce pass to Warney, whose zone defender had stepped up toward Brenton.

At the last second, Binghamton freshman Jordan Reed begins to scramble across the lane toward Warney, but from the moment Warney begins to elevate off the ground it is clear that any attempt to contest the upcoming dunk will only serve to enhance a poster. With Reed far underneath him, Warney throws down a powerful slam with both hands, holding tight to the rim, his feet swinging out toward the far low block as momentum continues to carry his lower body across the lane. The score capped an early 9-0 run for the Seawolves, one of several runs that quickly rendered the 1 vs. 8 quarterfinal non-competitive.

The crowd’s focus immediately before and after the dunk was on Warney, a physical specimen blessed with size, athleticism, and the ability to make even the most difficult plays look simple and straightforward. But no analysis of this play, or of the game that lends it context, would be complete without an equal focus on Reed, exerting maximum effort on help defense to contest a play whose outcome was already written in stone before Reed took his first step. (more…)

We have lead-ins for the other Player of the Year awards, but you probably already know who this one is, right? Right? Okay, good, let’s get to it.

Tommy Brenton, R-Sr., F, Stony Brook
Brenton ranked among the league leaders in defensive rebounds and steals and was the best defender on possibly the best defense in America East history, but numbers and statistics don’t do him justice: The Maryland native’s impact on the defensive end of the court was incalculable. Big, strong, fast, relentless, intimidating, and incredibly physical, Brenton literally did it all.

A lock-down defender, Brenton was capable of shutting down the best opposing scorer regardless of position. Bruising bull forwards, sharpshooting snipers, blazing point guards, he covered – and neutralized – them all. He also excelled as a roving free-safety of sorts in the Seawolves’ modified zone defense, wreaking havoc in the half-court. If there were accurate stats for charges taken, he would have led the league by a wide margin.

Brenton’s impact as an intimidator and an instigator also can not be over-stated, as the fifth-year senior used every trick in the book – and several outlawed by it – to get into opponent’s heads and take them out of their games.

Tommy Brenton, 6’5” 230 R-Sr., F, Stony Brook
Overall: 31.2 MPG, 8.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 2.3 A/TO, 109.8 ORtg
Conference: 30.9 MPG, 10.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 APG, 112.1 ORtg
Brenton does everything for Stony Brook: The engine that powers the Seawolves, he is the heart and soul, leader, and toughest player. A point-forward, Brenton runs the Seawolves offense and ranks among the league leaders in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, while also cleaning up the glass as one of the conference’s top rebounders. Add in a career high in scoring, and Brenton’s overall offensive package stands as one of the league’s most valuable. That is in addition to Brenton’s status as the league’s premier defender and enforcer. As impressive as his numbers are, they fall short of summarizing his overall impact. (more…)

Tommy Brenton, 6’5” 230 R-Sr., F, Stony Brook: The reigning America East (and OBW) Defensive Player of the Year, Brenton is the best defender on not only the league’s best defense, but one of the five best field goal percentage defenses in the nation. Capable of going “Revis Island” and locking down the best opposing scorer regardless of size and position, Brenton is fast, athletic, strong and super, super physical. (more…)

Compared to the major conferences, America East may be a bit undersized, but the AE still has its fair share of guys who want to throw it down with authority. Here’s our list of the newest inductees into the America East chapter of Phi Slamma Jammma:

Justin Edwards, 6’3” 185, Soph., G/F, Maine: Likely the league’s most athletic player and best leaper, Edwards is far and away the America East’s best in-game dunker. Adept at jamming on the breakaway and in the half-court, on a lob or off the bounce, with one hand or two, jumping off one leg or two, he dunks it all. Among his notable slams are multiple two-handed reverse slams, including some on alley-oops. (more…)

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” – nowhere is this more true than in America East. Picking the five hardest working players in a conference that plays harder than just about any other is a daunting task, and there are roughly two dozen players deserving a place on this team. With that said, these are the five players whose guts, guile, grit, tenacity, and complete disregard for their own well-being stood out to us. (more…)

By Matt Whitrock and Sam Perkins

Sent Packing! Stony Brook freshman Jameel Warney rejects Vermont guard Josh Elbaum in the first half of the Seawolves 65-48 win on Friday (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Stony Brook, NY) – Jameel Warney is a force in America East unlike anything we’ve seen in years.

After turning down scholarships from the likes of Iowa, Penn State and Charlotte, the 6’8” 250 pound bruiser from Plainfield, New Jersey had amassed a hype even larger than his massive frame.

“He’s the best big man that will ever play here, absolutely,” Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said at the time.

Over the course of his first season of college ball, Warney has not only lived up to the lofty expectations, but exceeded them.

Through 25 games, Warney currently ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding at 7.6 boards per game, 10th in scoring at 12 points per game, while leading the league in field goal percentage (62.4 percent) and blocked shots (1.6 per game). In conference play, Warney has been even better, averaging 12.6 points per game (8th), 8.3 rebounds (4th) and 1.6 blocks (1st), while shooting an insane 65.9 percent from the floor.

“It’s unbelievable; he has the best hands I’ve ever seen,” raved fifth-year senior Tommy Brenton, the team’s captain and emotional leader. “He makes me look good, honestly, I’ll just throw it up there sometimes [and] he catches it.”

His raw numbers become all the more impressive when considering the defensive attention already being paid to the Seawolves workhorse.

“In high school he would have five guys on him,” said Steve Pikiell following the Seawolves dominating 65-48 win over conference rival Vermont. Warney shrugged off double and triple teams to post 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting to go with 10 rebounds to help the Seawolves secure a resounding win and two game cushion in the conference standings.

Simply put, Warney is already the runaway Rookie of the Year. But he’s more – much more – and much better than his raw numbers. When looking at his advanced statistics, Warney is not only the most efficient offensive player in the conference, but the most impactful rookie to come through the America East in more than half a decade. (more…)

Stony Brook forwards Tommy Brenton (24) and Eric McAlister box out Vermont center Ben Crenca in the Seawolves 65-48 win Friday night (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Stony Brook, NY) – Only time will tell if this was the “Statement Win” that has long eluded Stony Brook Men’s basketball in its quest for America East supremacy, but the Seawolves sure made a statement Friday night, stomping Vermont.

Squaring off against their bitter-rival – and the team that dashed their NCAA tournament dreams a year ago – before a packed house partisan fans, Stony Brook rose to the occasion, crushing the Catamounts 65-48 in a game no where near as close as the final score. In doing so the Seawolves grabbed a stranglehold of first place in the standings, entrenching themselves on the inside track in the race for a regular season title and the coveted top-seed in the conference tournament.

“We played a real good basketball team in Vermont and we played really well,” said Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell.

“They out toughed us; they out-played us; they out-shot us; they kicked us all over,” said Vermont head coach John Becker.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and against a Catamount squad that had bested them in three straight games – including last year’s Championship Game – the Seawolves did just that, holding Vermont to an icy 36.7 percent shooting from the floor (18-of-49) and 26.3 percent from behind the arc (5-of-19). Stony Brook forced 13 Catamounts’ turnovers, turning them into 26 points, and held Vermont to a season-low in scoring.

“Defensively they gave up their bodies,” said Pikiell of his team. “We swarmed today, this was the kind of defense we need to play.”

On offense, the Seawolves used a first-half three-point barrage to space the floor and open up a lead in the first half, before bulldozing the Catamounts in the paint after the intermission.

Freshman center Jameel Warney shrugged off double – and many times, triple – teams in the post to notch a double-double, scoring 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting to go with 10 rebounds. Warney scored all but two of his points after the intermission and poured in eight points in the opening five minutes of the second half to turn a six point lead into a 14 point runaway.

“Give credit to Vermont in the first half for playing tough defense: They wouldn’t let me get the ball. But you start to see chances open up, and we knew we had to attack,” said Warney, who added a blocked shot and altered several more on the defensive end.

While Warney finished off the Catamounts, it was reserve guard Marcus Rouse who started the romp, scoring a team high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor. Rouse took advantage of the defensive attention being paid to Warney in the paint to drill 4-of-5 shots from the perimeter. (more…)