Offense reigns supreme in college basketball’s offseason chatter, but we can’t ignore the defensive side of the ball after the Final Four was littered with four top-10 defenses. Even in an era where scoring is skyrocketing, defense is vital and often can be a path to a NBA contract.
So, who are the best defenders in the country? As usual, it’s complicated.
Defense can be inherently hard to quantify, but one thing is certain: It’s so, so, so much more than blocks and steals. There are smart advanced analytic models that build all-encompassing defensive grades, but that’s still a bit subjective and can miss the mark. For reference, one model had Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. graded as the best defender on the team. Clayton was the Gators’ All-American, but it was for his barrage of buckets, not his defense. His game-sealing defensive play in the national championship win over Houston was one of the biggest plays of the season and was also ironic in more ways than one.
“Everyone gives him crap about how he doesn’t play defense, but he made the play of the game defensively,” big man Micah Handlogten told CBS Sports in the gleeful aftermath. “We came away with the win because of it. I’m so happy for him. I’m so proud of him.”
Analytics are a tool, not the gospel, for defensive evaluation. Just like steal percentage and block percentage can tell a story about a defender, but not the story.
So what are the best ways to judge defense? I’m a firm believer that the full-game tape is the best way to assess defense. Who are they being asked to guard? Is it the opposing star or the low-usage role player? What’s the scheme? What are they being asked to do? How do they defend when they’re tired? It all matters.
For this exercise, we split defenders up into six different buckets:
- Point of attack: These players tend to guard the fastest point guards. They’re on-ball pests.
- Jumbo utility guards: These players usually have good positional size and can defend multiple archetypes: shooters, scorers, point guards and even some wings.
- Wing stoppers: Big, long athletes who can guard those stud wings.
- Versatile forwards: In theory, these players can guard four or five positions on the floor depending on the matchup. They’re helpful team defenders inside and out.
- Sturdy interior defenders: These players usually don’t have special measurables, but they take up space and make life so tough for opposing offenses and are usually excellent on the glass.
- Elite rim protectors: This one is self-explanatory. These guys send shots into the fourth row and change the complexion of the game. The best ones have scheme versatility and have excellent measurables.
Here’s the full list of stud defenders, but let’s dive into the top five names at each spot.
Point of attack
1. Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State: Lipsey has been an essential cog of three excellent Iowa State defenses. Lipsey is the perfect fit for T.J. Otzelberger’s game plan. He’s a stout, hounding defender on the ball, and a dangerous ballhawk when he’s off the rock. In another life, Lipsey would’ve been a terrific nickel corner who could execute a corner blitz with the best of ’em. He comes out of nowhere to swarm ball-handlers with timely double-teams at awkward places on the floor. Lipsey breaks old-school defensive rules sometimes, but it makes Iowa State’s defense unpredictable and annoying. His IQ is off the charts.
2. Jaden Bradley, Arizona: Bradley embraces tough defensive assignments every single night, and he’s always up for the challenge. The 6-3, 200-pound guard has good size and excellent anticipation. He gets his fair share of steals (1.8 per game), but Bradley racks up even more deflections and makes everyone uncomfortable. Over 18% of the 178 pick-and-rolls that Bradley defended ended in a turnover, per Synergy. Oh, and he never comes off the floor. His conditioning is excellent. Trip after trip, Bradley shows up ready to create problems for opposing offenses.
3. Tru Washington, Miami: Washington walks on the floor wanting to take your ball. His anticipation and defensive feel are pretty high-level stuff. Washington has notched a steal percentage north of 4.0 in back-to-back seasons for a takeaway-driven New Mexico defense. Washington transferred to Miami to be Jai Lucas’ defensive ace.
4. Kylan Boswell, Illinois: Going one-on-one against Boswell is a bad idea. Boswell guards his yard, moves those puppies and changes direction extremely well. He’s just a functional mover defensively who mirrors drivers flawlessly. No Big Ten player (minimum 20 possessions) defended isolation better than Boswell last season, according to Synergy.
5. Sencire Harris, Cincinnati: Harris is a total pest who will pick up opposing point guards for all 94 feet. He’s crawling into your skin, and Harris does not have an off switch. He has to be completely miserable to play against.
Strong case for top five: Frankie Collins, Vanderbilt
Dark horse to crack top five by the end of the season: Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Jumbo utility guards
1. Emanuel Sharp, Houston: Sharp has worked hard to become quicker laterally, and it’s helped him turn into one of the best defenders for one of the elite defenses every single year. Sharp can switch onto just about anybody, and he’s outstanding at executing Houston’s trap-heavy scheme. He plays hard, pushes guards further and further away from the paint and is always trying to eliminate passing windows.
2. Miles Byrd, San Diego State: Byrd is a “stocks” darling (3.3 steals and blocks per game). He was one of just four Division I players to notch both a 4.0 block rate and 4.0 steal rate. Even though he’s a tad thin, the 6-7 guard wreaks havoc for a San Diego State defense that will be one of the 10 best in America in 2025-26. Byrd will be in the grown-man league next year.
3. Otega Oweh, Kentucky: Oweh is just a freak. He is a high-motor scorer who still has energy in the tank on the other end. Kentucky’s defense had almost zero chance against good teams last year if Oweh was not on the floor to chase around shooters like Miles Kelly, chest up big wings like Adou Theiro or bother small point guards like Mark Sears or Tahaad Pettiford. He does a little bit of everything well defensively.
4. Seth Trimble, North Carolina: It was not a smart idea to try and drive against Trimble. The UNC guard held opponents to a miniscule 0.56 points per chance on 55 drives, according to Synergy. That’s one of the best marks out there. Trimble is strong, smart and defends without fouling very well. His second jump is impressive and he walls off openings. UNC should have improved rim protection which should unleash Trimble to be even nastier at the point of attack.
5. Emmanuel Innocenti, Gonzaga: Gonzaga’s defense was 10 points per 100 possessions better with Innocenti on the floor last season. The tape backs up the stats. The 6-5, 200-pound guard is going to continue to be a huge asset on that end thanks to his combination of perimeter size and long arms. Innocenti has earned the right to guard the No. 1 guy on the scouting report whenever he checks into the game.
Strong case for top five: Silas Demary Jr., UConn
Dark horse to crack top five by the end of the season: Myles Colvin, Wake Forest
Wing stoppers
1. Dillon Mitchell, St. John’s: Mitchell’s mere presence is a good thing for any defense. The 6-8, 210-pound senior is one of the best athletes in college basketball, and he’s a tremendous defensive rebounder for a wing. Cincinnati’s defense was 13 points per 100 possessions better when he was on the floor last year because of his ability to fly around, plug gaps and douse fires. Now he heads to St. John’s to play for Rick Pitino, one of the best defensive coaches of all time. Mitchell should be firmly in the race for Big East Defensive Player of the Year.
2. Solomon Washington, Maryland: Washington could be an asset for a NBA defense tomorrow. The 6-7 senior was one of the best shot-blocking wings in college basketball last season. He was the best defender for a Texas A&M unit that rated in the top-10 nationally. Washington notched an absurd 7.6 block percentage and 3.2 steal percentage in SEC play last year, which ranked top-10 in both categories. Now he follows Buzz Williams from Texas A&M to Maryland. New place, same ‘ol story. Washington’s defensive imprint will be visible in every game.
3. David Punch, TCU: Punch is one of the Big 12’s best defenders that no one talks about yet. That will change this year. The 6-7, 245-pound wing does not look like a freshman, physically. He chested up fifth-year seniors, and they’d bounce off him, not vice versa. He chips in with secondary rim protection, hits the glass at a high level and can guard a bunch of different archetypes. Punch was a big reason why Keyshawn Hall, one of the most frightening bucket-getters in college basketball, shot just 3 for 17 against TCU last March.
4. Terrance Arceneaux, NC State: It was completely unfair that Houston’s already-awesome defense got even better when Kelvin Sampson went to his bench to bring in Arceneaux. The 6-6, 205-pound wing can guard four positions effortlessly, and he earned tough assignments. His activity was palpable, and the deflections showed up almost every night.
The advanced numbers were ludicrous, thanks to the folks at hoop-explorer.
- Houston’s defensive rating against top-100 teams with Arceneaux: 90.9 in 1,035 possessions
- Houston’s defensive rating against top-100 teams without Arceneaux: 105.1 in 1,081 possessions.
New NC State coach Will Wade should be licking his chops to unleash a savvy defender like Arceneaux into the fray.
5. Chad Baker-Mazara, USC: When he’s locked in, Baker-Mazara’s on-ball defense is filthy. Baker-Mazara is long, highly competitive and moves laterally well. Auburn even trusted him to guard speedy point guards because he was quick enough to recover over screens, and he racked up plenty of rearview-contest blocks. He also had some disrespectful stuffs in transition. USC coach Eric Musselman should have no problems instilling some switch-everything coverages because of Baker-Mazara’s positional size and versatility.
Strong case for top five: Coen Carr, Michigan State
Dark horse to crack top five by the end of the season: Nate Ament, Tennessee
Versatile forwards
1. Maliq Brown, Duke: Brown is a lean, mean, deflections machine. He isn’t some special shot-blocker, but Brown moves his feet so well for a big man and can guard literally anyone. Duke coach Jon Scheyer trusts him on an island against the best guards in America, and Brown has a sky-high basketball IQ. The 6-9 forward will be Duke’s best all-around defender in 2025-26.
2. Mo Dioubate, Kentucky: Opposing offensive coordinators rarely tried to go right at Dioubate, and when they did, good things seldom happened. Teams averaged just 0.62 points per chance on 29 drives against Dioubate, per Synergy. The 6-7, 215-pound wing is always looking to poke away steals, and he plays with a ton of energy. Kentucky will need him to stay out of foul trouble (so he can stay on the floor), but Dioubate will embrace the chance to pester alphas all year long. He’s also so good on the boards, which is a massive part of defense that can get overlooked.
3. KJ Evans, Oregon: Oregon’s defense was a much stiffer unit (13 points per 100 possessions) when Evans was on the floor last year. He moves so well, shrinks the floor and adds some secondary rim protection. Oregon’s rim defense was special (opponents shot just 47%) when Evans and center Nate Bittle were on the floor together last year. That isn’t a fluke and should be sticky in 2025-26.
4. Alex Condon, Florida: Florida’s interior defense is so stout, and Condon is a huge part of that. He walls off at the rim, and Florida can trust him to play a bunch of different pick-and-roll coverages. The Gators also rarely have to send a second defender to Condon’s assignments because they trust him to do the right things. The junior is primed to be a two-way force.
5. Jacob Cofie, USC: Cofie could be a star in the making defensively. The 6-10, 232-pound forward has the size, agility and mentality to be a menace on the defensive end in the not-so-distant future. Cofie can just swallow up opposing ball-handlers, and he’s strong enough to tangle with the low-block scorers. He’s another excellent defensive piece that Eric Musselman landed at USC from the portal last spring.
Strong case for top five: Caleb Wilson, UNC
Dark horse to crack top five by the end of the season: Nolan Winter, Wisconsin
Sturdy interior defenders
1. Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s: Ejiofor takes zero plays off defensively. That motor is always revving, and he turned into one of the best switch-everything big men in college basketball. Rick Pitino asked him to guard point guards, scorers, big wings, tough forwards, bruising centers and everyone in between. It was a full team effort, but St. John’s would not have been the No. 2 defense in the country without Ejiofor.
I still think Ejiofor was robbed in last year’s Big East Defensive Player of the Year race.
2. Josh Jefferson, Iowa State: It’s no coincidence that Jefferson has been an integral part of back-to-back, top-15 defenses. Two years ago, it was Saint Mary’s. Last year, it was Iowa State. Jefferson is just a pest who gets a bunch of deflections and makes your life miserable. He’s not super-duper fast, but he’s a savvy defender who knows when and where to be. His on-ball defense is as good as it gets for a 4-man. He’s right up in your grill and impossible to back down. He stonewalls dudes left and right, and he notched the highest steal rate for any high-major big man.
3. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan: Lendeborg has sneaky-great hands, so while he can be a bit of a riverboat gambler at times, he usually makes enough plays to make up for it. Lendeborg will be an asset for Michigan’s defense thanks to his comfort defending inside and out. He had multiple stocks (steals or blocks) in 30 of 36 games for UAB last season. With more structure and a second high-level rim protector on the floor at Michigan, Lendeborg could be unleashed even more to take the ball away.
4. Ernest Udeh, Miami: Udeh has some impressive moments reading ball-handlers. He can guard two guys at one time in drop coverage very well. He’s become a well-schooled, versatile defensive weapon who can protect the rim, rebound at a high level and slide his feet on the perimeter. His defensive feel and hands are much improved. Udeh will be Miami’s anchor.
5. Rueben Chinyelu, Florida: Ball-handlers think twice about entering the paint when Chinyelu is looming. He’s just massive. The 6-10, 260-pound center has ridiculous length, and he’s ferocious and physical. Chinyelu had some enormous defensive stops down the stretch in the Final Four against Auburn All-American Johni Broome.
Strong case for top five: Tre’Von Spillers, Wake Forest
Darkhorse to crack top five by the end of the season: Cade Phillips, Tennessee
Elite rim protectors
1. JoJo Tugler, Houston: Tugler was the best defender on the best defense in the land last season. The 6-8, 230-pound big man has an eye-popping 7-6 wingspan that helps him erase open layups. Tugler rated seventh nationally in block percentage last season, and he’s a fluid mover who can unleash a scary double team 27 feet from the basket and also bound back to protect the rim. He is a straight-up menace who creates problems at multiple levels.
2. Felix Okpara, Tennessee: Okpara became Tennessee’s interior enforcer, racking up the second-best block rate in SEC play for a Vols defense that rated No. 1 in the league and No. 3 nationally. Okpara was used to playing more of a deep drop coverage at Ohio State, but Tennessee asked him to be more aggressive and hedge or stab ball screens. There was an adjustment period last year to the new defensive scheme, but that added defensive versatility makes Okpara even more valuable. He should be awesome defensively in Year 2 in Knoxville.
3. Flory Bidunga, Kansas: Bidunga is on the verge of a breakout season. The sophomore big man changed the complexion of Kansas’ defense dramatically in Year 1. Top-100 teams shot just 50% at the rim against KU when Bidunga was on the floor. When he sat, Kansas’ defense allowed way more shots at the rim and couldn’t stop the avalanche of rim pressure as well (62%). Bidunga has ridiculous physical tools to make up for anyone else’s mistakes. Bidunga will give Tugler a real run for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
4. Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky: Quaintance was one of the youngest players in college basketball last year, and he’s just scratching the surface of how good he can be defensively. The Arizona State transfer will be a massive part of what is expected to be a much-improved Kentucky defense in 2025-26, but he has to get healthy first after a nasty knee injury. If he can get up to speed, Quaintance can do some pretty remarkable things defensively. The 6-9 forward mirrors drivers on the perimeter incredibly well, and he has some freaky anticipation and timing to block jumpers without fouling. Guards getting switched onto Quaintance is not the mismatch they think it is.
5. Luke Bamgboye, Texas Tech: Bamgboye was a massive piece of a VCU defense that ranked No. 4 nationally in two-point defense. The 6-10, string-bean center has a terrific second jump and an outstanding feel for swatting shots away. He needs to add weight and continue to develop, but he’s going to change the complexion of Texas Tech’s defense when he’s on the floor. Opponents shot just a mind-boggling 43.5% at the rim against VCU when Bamgboye was in the game. He’s only getting better by the day.
Strong case for top five: Nate Bittle, Oregon
Dark horse to crack top five by the end of the season: Magoon Gwath, San Diego State
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