Hall of Fame
Tommy Brenton '12/'13 vividly recalls the day the Stony Brook men’s basketball team clinched its first America East regular-season title.
On Feb. 24, 2010, the Seawolves defeated rival Vermont, 82-78, inside sold-out Pritchard Gymnasium.
“I’ll never forget the storming of the court by the fans — and even my family members that made the drive from Maryland to be a part of Stony Brook basketball history,” Brenton said. “It is a memory that I will cherish forever.”
He was part of the 2020 class of the Rita & Kurt Eppenstein Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame.
Brenton graduated as the program’s all-time leader in rebounds and steals and the program’s Division I leader in assists. He earned the Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year award as a senior, becoming the first Seawolves basketball player to win a national award. He also was the America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for the 2012-13 season — only the conference’s second player ever to win both awards in the same season.
He played professionally in the Japan Basketball League for four seasons, from his graduation through 2017. Brenton capped his playing career with a championship in his final season.
“That was the perfect ending,” Brenton said.
After retiring from basketball, Brenton began working in sales.
“Tommy was part of the core that helped elevate Stony Brook men’s basketball into an era of prominence in America East,” said Jeff Barnett, Stony Brook’s interim associate dean of students, who was one of the people to nominate Brenton for the Hall of Fame. “His grit, on-court intelligence and unique skillset made him one of the most respected players in the conference. His home team loved him, opponents hated him, but everyone respected him.
“He did not always own the stats line, but as a penetrating forward his value was his hustle. He energized the team and the crowd and — no matter the situation — he was the go-to guy. Coaches described him as the ‘glue-guy’ that held everyone and everything together. His talent, hard work and determination resulted in him being named America East Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year. Tommy paved the way for a Jameel Warney to thrive. First came Brenton, then came Warney.”
Brenton was teammates at Stony Brook with fellow 2020 inductee Bryan Dougher. The fact that the two entered the Rita & Kurt Eppenstein Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame in the same class is particularly meaningful.
“Going into the Hall of Fame alongside one of my best friends is something that just feels right,” Brenton said. “We had never spoken a single word prior to getting on campus in the summer of 2008. Once we got to our dorm room that summer, we just clicked and that carried over, seamlessly, to the court that summer. We were roommates for the next four years and developed a true friendship off of the court.
“We accomplished a ton on the court that had never been done before at Stony Brook, but I am truly honored to be able to say that I get to go into the Hall of Fame with a best friend. I would have it no other way. To this day we still talk every single day.”
As for his top individual moment during his playing career, Brenton reflects on a game from his freshman season, when the Seawolves played at UMBC in Baltimore.
“I grew up about 15 minutes from the campus and had close to 100 local friends and family in attendance,” Brenton recalled. “It would have been special had we lost, but the fact that we won against the defending champs and I got to do that my first year away from home — with my closest friends and family in attendance — was truly special and a day I will never forget.”
