SEC: Former LSU and UNO basketball player dies at 22

Police found 22 year old Matt Derenbecker’s dead on Sunday.
The body of the former Louisiana high school basketball star, who had played at LSU, Dayton and New Orleans, was found in the swimming pool of a home where he’d been house sitting.

Ponchatoula Police Chief Bry Layrisson says police were called and asked to check in on Derenbecker Sunday when he wasn’t responding to calls. Authorities are awaiting the coroner’s report but it does not appear foul play was involved.

Darenbecker was twice named Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year at Country Day High School in suburban New Orleans and looked to have a promising college career as well.

However as Darenbecker struggled with personal problems off the court his performance on the court struggled as well. He spent his freshman year of college at LSU where he averaged 6.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game for the Tigers, starting in 16 games.

He then transferred to the University of Dayton for reasons unknown and due to NCAA transfer rules sat out the 2011-12 season, then played in for the Flyers in 2012-13. He averaged 4.5 points and 1.1 rebounds that season before electing to transfer to UNO.

The NCAA granted Darenbecker a waiver to play in 2013-14 for the Privateer’s but in January of this year left the team for undisclosed medical reasons. He was averaging 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the nine games before leaving the team.

The highlight of his season was in December when he scored 16 points in the Privateers’ loss to then No.4 Michigan State in East Lansing.

Friends and fans took to twitter to share their condolences over the loss of the young player: