It's hard to know how honest players and coaches are being when they call Penn senior captain Brian Grandieri a "tough competitor." After all, the term does get thrown around a lot in the world of sports.
But when his own mother feels that those two words are what best sums him up - maybe they're all on to something.
The third of six children, Grandieri "was always quiet, but always got the job done," according to his mother, Bernadette.
He grew up in Media, Pa., a suburb 12 miles west of Philadelphia. All of the Big 5 schools offered great basketball, but Penn and its history had a certain allure for him.
At Malvern Prep, an elite college-preparatory school on the Main Line, he "was probably one of the two or three best players to ever come through," said John DeAngelis, Grandieri's high-school coach.
But he had chronic knee problems that hindered his athleticism. Despite finishing as the second-leading scorer in school history, many colleges stayed away from Grandieri.
"But if you looked at only his physical abilities, you were missing the best parts of him," DeAngelis said. "He had so much that couldn't be quantified in a vertical leap or bench press."
Former Penn coach Fran Dunphy recruited him, recognizing his intangibles and feel for the game. However, it looked like his knees would overshadow all those.
Grandieri tore his anterior cruciate ligament and missed his first season at Penn. He seemed destined for a college career defined by the trainers' table.
"It was hard on him, coming here and being forced to watch from the sidelines," said roommate of four years and teammate Michael Kach.
"I barely knew him for five hours and I had to help him in and out of the shower because of the knee. But he fought back."
Slowly, Grandieri won some playing time. Last season, he started all but one game and finished second on the team in rebounds and third in scoring and assists.
But he was seen as a role player supporting star seniors Ibrahim Jaaber and Mark Zoller.
This year they're gone, and Grandieri has been thrust into the role of de facto team leader.
"Being a leader, that comes with the territory of being a senior," he said.
It's a challenge that he knows isn't just incumbent on him - he relishes the chance to take the reins.
"I love the idea," he said. "I've always felt like a leader whether or not that 'C' was on my jersey."
But in taking the lead this season, he has also been forced to change his approach with his teammates.
In the past, Grandieri was the type that "led by example," according to coaches and teammates. He stepped aside and let past captains like Zoller, Jaaber, and Tim Begley handle the verbal side of leadership.
So far, he seems to be succeeding at that, too.
"I may not be the easiest teammate," Grandieri said. "Though I feel that we're all grown men. If you can't handle criticism, you shouldn't be wearing a jersey."
"He'll criticize players when he has to," Quakers coach Glen Miller said.
The senior is the type of person that pushes himself as hard as he can, and then pushes harder. And he expects the same of his teammates.
"He just hates to lose," DeAngelis said.
Although his on-court competitiveness is reflected in his off-court personality - "he's terse and to-the-point," Miller said - Grandieri is genuinely easy-going when not in uniform.
Friends said that the first time they met him, they knew he was a good-natured person.
And while Grandieri is not the most boisterous Penn student around, his quick wit makes him "a genuinely fun guy," according to Kach. There's plenty to support that claim.
As a basketball camp counselor at Malvern, Grandieri didn't look at the week-long program as a time to goof off.
Instead, he took the job seriously and it was evident to those who saw him that he loved to help young children get better.
That level of responsibility manifested itself in more somber circumstances as well.
When Grandieri was 18 years old, his best friend, Evan Brady, died from cancer. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Grandieri wanted to make others feel better.
So he parlayed his basketball skills into an opportunity to help others and started a foundation called "Hoops for Hope," which is still around at Malvern today.
The foundation had sponsors that would donate money every time Grandieri scored 15 points in a game. During his last year, he raised over $15,000 to help terminally ill children go on vacation with their families.
"It's really admirable anytime a kid that young looks beyond himself and takes that much initiative in helping others and their families," his mother said.
He still talks to Brady's parents a few times a month.
While that may be an extraordinary example of his interest outside of basketball, Grandieri has never allowed his life to be defined by the game.
He has a natural curiosity about the world that extends well beyond basketball. Last summer, he interned at a company that helps provide workmen's compensation for employees at large corporations.
And right now, he feels like the sport has run its course for him.
"I've been doing this for 18 years now," Grandieri said. "Sometimes enough is enough. I've accomplished everything I could've asked for. Playing in Europe after I graduate is not a dream of mine."
Though at times he sounds even listless when talking about basketball, he hasn't lost sight of the fact that he still has one more season to play.
If he's playing, he wants to win.
"Four [NCAA] Tournaments, that would be the best way to finish my career," he said.
And whether or not he or his coach are willing to admit it, the pressure on him will be crushing at the beginning of the season.
Grandieri is the lone constant on a team that could conceivably feature two or three freshmen in the starting lineup for the first time in recent memory.
"It's comforting for me that he's so consistent," Miller said.
More than just consistent, he's developed a reputation for stepping it up against the toughest opponents and in the biggest games.
And this season, every game will be a big one for him.
"I play my best under pressure," he said. "This is not going to be the 'transition year' that people are calling it."
It's probably safe to take him at his word.
