Basketball Caleb McConnell wins 2023 Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year Award
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Caleb McConnell Wins 2023 Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year - Rutgers University Athletics
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Caleb McConnell thought he had a media interview in the film room of the Rutgers men's basketball team facility on Monday.
scarletknights.com
Nice video clip in the sk.com article
Two (of 3 awarded so far) national DPYs....waiting on Naismith
Two (of 3 awarded so far) national DPYs....waiting on Naismith
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Congrats Caleb
Well deserved.
It's has been a privilege to watch you play for RU.
Well deserved.
It's has been a privilege to watch you play for RU.
man I was thrown off here...I thought THIS was the National DPOY but this is some other award? I'm so confused
Great Honor. Even moreso for a guy who battled back issues.
He will be missed
He will be missed
There are three national DPOY awards. Jaylen Clark won the NABC version (National Association of Basketball Coaches). Caleb won this Lefty Driesell version (awarded by CollegeInsider.com). The Naismith version (presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, who also awards the Naismith POY award) is TBA.
I'm really sure which one is considered the most prestigious. The Naismith one carries the biggest "name" because they're also the people awarding the Naismith Player of the Year (which goes back to 1969), but they've only awarded a Defensive POY award since the 2017-18 season. The NABC on the other hand has awarded a Defensive POY award since 1986-87. For twenty years they were the only ones doing it, until CollegeInsider.com began presenting the Driesell Defensive POY award in 2009-10.
Congratulations to Caleb. He won again the Big Ten defensive player of the year, the National Game Day Player of the Year and now the Lefty Driesall National Defensive Player of the Year Aeard. I am so happy to have gotten to know Caleb and to have watched him play and practice for these last five years. He will never be forgotten for RU basketball. He should go into our basketball HOF for his DEFENSE.
Incredible achievement. Very proud Caleb was a Scarlet Knight. It’s a shame the DPOY didn’t get to go dancing. Still, super proud of him for repping the RU
I think it was the home Purdue game last year, the announcer commented on how Caleb kept wrecking Purdue offensive plays
He wasn’t making steals right then, but doing enough to disrupt the offense sets and patterns . This might be one thing an average fan might not notice, like a steal is so much more obvious
Incredible honor. Congratulations Caleb. Best defensive player ever
thats a great video! Can we please put that up on the top of the page now!???? It breaks my heart everytime i open up the site to see Pike talking and Paul with his head down with that Hofstra post game interview clip
Congratulations Caleb! He was an extraordinary defender and someone that would do whatever the team needed to win, as Pike mentioned many times in press conferences. Great kid and great Scarlet Knight.
Nor did I. I also was unaware of any award using his name.
Love the guy, though. "Ah can coach!"
"Caleb McConnell is wrecking plays!" that is burned into my brain as well. I think it was Hummel?
What's the difference between the award he received today and the Naismith?
Wonder if this opens up a possible slot on NBA roster for a defensive specialist?
MO
Congratulations to Caleb, this is an incredible achievement, well-deserved by a hard working player who left it all on the court every night.
Kudos as well to Coach Pike, who created a culture of defensive intensity that became our brand, and one that Caleb embraced on day one.
Kudos as well to Coach Pike, who created a culture of defensive intensity that became our brand, and one that Caleb embraced on day one.
I really thought I was going to be able to find this.. it 100% is during the 2021 home game against Purdue.
It was on one of the final possessions Purdue had. Not the one Trevion scored (Purdues last). I think the one before that.
Congratulations, Caleb, on winning the Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year award.
It was great having you play at Rutgers. Will never forget your fantastic block against Ohio State last year.
Now get the Naismith. Best Wishes for your future.
It was great having you play at Rutgers. Will never forget your fantastic block against Ohio State last year.
Now get the Naismith. Best Wishes for your future.
Huge congratulations to Caleb…but…Lol…just rewatched.
The calls made when Ron hit the turn around to go up 67-66 were:
“Maybe the biggest shot of his career”
“Maybe the biggest shot in this arena’s history”.
Lasted 10 seconds.
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