News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
BOSTON – Texas A&M forward Andersson Garcia was named a finalist for the 2024 Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in Div. I college basketball.
Garcia, a senior from Moca, Dominican Republic, was the SEC’s top rebounder in 2023-24 and set school records for offensive and total rebounds. Garcia finished the year with 327 total rebounds to break the 42-year-old school standard of 317 set by Claude “The Crockett Rocket” Riley in 1981-82. He also took down the nearly 60-year old record for rebounds in a conference season with 180 (old record of 178 by All-American John Beasley in 1966).
The 6-foot-7 Garcia became the first 6-foot-7 or shorter SEC player to reach the 300-rebound plateau in a season since Auburn’s Cinmeon Bowers in 2014-15. Garcia’s 156 offensive rebounds tied for the third most in the SEC since 1996-97, trailing only two season totals of 184 and 179 by 2022 National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky.
Garcia had 16 games with at least 10 rebounds, including four 15-rebound games and a career-high 19 vs. HCU. He had seven or more offensive rebounds in eight games, including a pair of games with nine offensive boards against HCU and then-No. 6 Tennessee. Garcia led the nation with 48 offensive rebounds against AP Top 25 opponents and his 99 total rebounds against ranked opponents ranked No. 2 nationally.
2024 LEFTY DRIESELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
|
Justin Abson |
6-9 |
Appalachian State |
|
Adrian “Ace” Baldwin Jr. |
6-1 |
Penn State |
|
Reece Beekman |
6-3 |
Virginia |
|
Adem Bona |
6-10 |
UCLA |
|
Boo Buie |
6-2 |
Northwestern |
|
Johni Broome |
6-10 |
Auburn |
|
Devin Carter |
6-3 |
Providence |
|
Isaiah Cozart |
6-7 |
Eastern Kentucky |
|
Isaiah Crawford |
6-6 |
Louisiana Tech |
|
Ryan Dunn |
6-8 |
Virginia |
|
Zach Edey |
7-4 |
Purdue |
|
KiAndre Gaddy |
6-6 |
Tarleton State |
|
Andersson Garcia |
6-7 |
Texas A&M |
|
Dajuan Harris Jr. |
6-2 |
Kansas |
|
DaRon Holmes II |
6-10 |
Dayton |
|
Ryan Kalkbrenner |
7-1 |
Creighton |
|
Malevy Leons |
6-9 |
Bradley |
|
Tamin Lipsey |
6-1 |
Iowa State |
|
Bez Mbeng |
6-4 |
Yale |
|
Clifford Omoruyi |
6-11 |
Rutgers |
|
Jamal Shead |
6-1 |
Houston |
|
Charles Thompson |
6-7 |
Towson |
|
Kellen Tynes, Jr. |
6-3 |
Maine |
|
Amari Williams |
6-10 |
Drexel |
|
Zakai Zeigler |
5-9 |
Tennessee |
ABOUT THE AWARD: The Lefty Driesell award is named in honor of the legendary coach who spent over four decades as a head coach. Driesell won 786 games in 41 years at Davidson, Maryland, James Madison, and Georgia State. He ranks eighth on the NCAA career Division I coaches victories list and his teams at each stop were known for playing tenacious defense. From 1969-1986 at Maryland, his teams posted a 348-159 record, won two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles and one tournament title. Driesell also led Davidson, Georgia State and James Madison to the NCAA tournament, making him one of three coaches to reach the NCAAs with four different programs. His teams won a total of 16 regular season championships and six tournament championships. Charles “Lefty” Driesell passed away on Feb. 17, 2024. He was 92. The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com. The 2024 award will be announced in Phoenix, Arizona, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.