• Lefty Driesell Award Website
Murray State senior guard
Shaq Buchanan was named one of 25 finalists for the 2019 Lefty Driesell Award by CollegeInsider.com. The award is presented annually to the top defensive player in college basketball.
For being one of the 25 finalists, Buchanan earned a spot on the 2018-19 Lefty Driesell Defensive All-American Team.
Buchanan, the 2018-19 OVC Defensive Player of the Year, guided Murray State to its second-straight OVC regular season and tournament championships and a victory over Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Buchanan talied 60 steals in 33 games this season, a mark that ranks 66th nationally. He also added 4.2 rebounds/game and blocked 18 shots while also scoring 13.0 points/game for the Racers.
The award is named after Lefty Driesell who 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.
The recipient of the 2019 Lefty Driesell award will be announced on April 5 at the College Insider Awards Event, in Minneapolis, site of the 2019 NCAA division I basketball championship.
2019 LEFTY DRIESELL DEFENSIVE ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Barry Brown Jr., Kansas State
Shaq Buchanan, Murray State
Desure Buie, Hofstra
Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga
Mamadi Diakite, Virginia
Tacko Fall, UCF
Bruno Fernando, Maryland
Javon Freeman, Valparaiso
Daniel Gafford, Arkansas
Jonathan Galloway, UC Irvine
JaKeenan Gant, Louisiana
Ashton Hagans, Kentucky
De’Andre Hunter, Virginia
Tre Jones, Duke
Javon Levi, UT Rio Grande Valley
Tariq Owens, Texas Tech
Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure
Laquincy Rideau, USF
Galen Robinson Jr., Houston
Chris Silva, South Carolina
Justin Simon, St. John's
Zavier Simpson, Michigan
Matisse Thybulle, Washington
Kenny Williams, North Carolina
Zion Williamson, Duke