Placing No. 8 in the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll, there have been high expectations and hopes for Duke coming into its 2023 spring season. Starting off hot with two resounding wins before a nail-biting 12-13 loss to Jacksonville, the Blue Devils have largely shown signs that the faith placed in them was not unfounded. To hope to exceed expectations and bring home an NCAA title for the first time since 2014, the Blue Devils put their trust behind two stars that were just placed on the Tewaaraton Award watch list. Senior defender Kenny Brower and electric junior attackman Brennan O’Neill are prime candidates for the award, an honor that annually recognizes the top male and female college lacrosse players in the United States.
Brennan O’Neill
Upon arriving at Duke three years ago, O’Neill was expected to be a dynamic and shifty player that could lead an already-strong Blue Devil attack. He blew these expectations out of the water, leading Duke in goals both his freshman and sophomore seasons with 45 goals in 2021 and 53 in 2022. Boasting this impressive stat line, he was the fastest player to reach 100 career goals in Duke history. A member of the 2022 U.S. U-21 Men’s National team and a second-team All-American in 2022, he is a widely respected and lauded player in college lacrosse. He has already notched nine goals and seven assists in the first three games of the season, and the Blue Devils will continue to rely on his impressive physicality and speed to find success this season.
Kenny Brower
Leading the other half of the field, Brower is a similarly talented and respected player that anchors a strong Blue Devil defense. Placed on the 2023 Preseason All-ACC team, a member of the 2022 U.S. U-21 Men’s National Team and a third-team All-American in 2022, expectations for Brower this season are just as high as those for O’Neill. Known to lock on and shut down any team’s best attackman, the Blue Devils place immense trust in the physical and skillful Brower to limit opposing offenses, no matter their strength. With four in three games, he is tied as the leader in forced turnovers in the Blue Devils defense. Duke fans will hope for even more impressive stat lines and game-changing plays to come.
As the Blue Devils look to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season that ended without a bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time in head coach John Danowski’s tenure, watch these impressive Tewaaraton Award candidates as they compete to lift up this Duke squad and return the Blue Devils to their former, dominating glory in the ACC.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.