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http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-col...ist-nation-top-10-defenses-college-basketball
Coming at # 5(below for those who don't have Insider)
1. Arizona Wildcats
I'd feel even more confident with this pick if Aaron Gordon were still in Tucson. Nevertheless, with a healthy Brandon Ashley on hand to go along with Kaleb Tarczewski, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, T.J. McConnell and highly acclaimed freshman Stanley Johnson, I trust Sean Miller will have what he requires to put together another outstanding defense.
Keep in mind the Wildcat D can be "worse" than it was in 2013-14 and still be excellent. Last season, Arizona held Pac-12 opponents to just 0.91 points per possession. No other defense in the league allowed less than one point per trip. Miller and the Cats took their defense to a different level, and even without Gordon that D projects to be very good again in 2014-15.
2. Virginia Cavaliers
After five seasons in Charlottesville, Tony Bennett has instilled his values so thoroughly that Virginia fans now applaud good defensive rotations. And there was a good deal of that applause being generated last season, because the defense we saw from this group was about as good as you can get. (Favorite stat: Virginia's in-conference defense even on "effective" or turnover-less possessions was significantly better than Boston College's actual defense.) This season the Hoos have lost their best defender from a year ago (Akil Mitchell), so a correction toward normalcy is to be expected. Still, this is Bennett we're talking about, and he returns seven of his top nine players. I expect said correction will be small.
3. Louisville Cardinals
Replacing Russ Smith and his consistently high steal rate will be a challenge, but, speaking of consistency, Rick Pitino has put statistically outstanding defenses on the floor in each of the past four seasons. I expect that streak to continue, thanks to the coach's deft use of the press, a few timely blocks from Mangok Mathiang and Chris Jones' own consistently high steal rate.
4. San Diego State Aztecs
SDSU faces a huge question mark at the point guard position in the wake of Xavier Thames' departure. Then again, Steve Fisher returns six veterans from last season's eight-man rotation and adds Arizona transfer Angelo Chol and three top-100 freshmen. VCU gets all the publicity for takeaways but SDSU creates a similar degree of statistical havoc, albeit at a less frenzied pace.
5. Connecticut Huskies
I for one won't be shocked if Amida Brimah takes a big step forward this season, and if he does it will be very bad news for opposing offenses. His astronomical foul rate (seven per 40 minutes) is all that stands between the 7-foot sophomore and the proverbial breakout. And even with Brimah averaging just 16 minutes a night in conference play, UConn still held American Athletic opponents to 42 percent shooting inside the arc. If Kevin Ollie's big man can stay on the floor, this will be a very tough defense.
6. Virginia Commonwealth Rams
VCU is widely admired for forcing turnovers, and, to be sure, the Rams sure do force turnovers: Atlantic 10 opponents gave the ball away on 24 percent of their possessions in 2013-14. That number should be high again this season, courtesy of Briante Weber and his Division I-best steal percentage. (Weber will have to serve a one-game suspension before he returns to action.) But if all Shaka Smart's team did was force turnovers this defense would be markedly less effective. VCU records those takeaways without fouling at a high rate and without giving up too many easy looks. Yes, the Rams' A-10 opponents in 2014-15 will surely do better than last season's 27 percent 3-point shooting, but this will still be a very good defense.
7. Kansas Jayhawks
Relatively speaking, Bill Self had a down year as far as his defense was concerned in 2013-14. True, KU was tied for first on that side of the ball with Oklahoma State in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks, however, are accustomed to unchallenged preeminence on D, and a return to form this season won't surprise me. Who knows, if he can crack the rotation maybe Arkansas transfer Hunter Mickelson can be the next Jeff Withey, albeit a less awesome version thereof. As a freshman with the Razorbacks in 2011-12, Mickelson posted one of the best block percentages in D-I.
8. Ohio State Buckeyes
Shannon Scott might be the best defensive guard in the country, and Thad Matta has built a body of work on defense that someday soon will land him up there on the same bleachers with Jim Boeheim and Self. I don't know if the Buckeyes will score points this season, but I do expect that they will be able to prevent them.
9. Syracuse Orange
Trevor Cooney will continue to record way more steals than people seem to realize, Michael Gbinije will see minutes (possibly off the bench) as a 6-7 pest on the top line of the 2-3 zone, Rakeem Christmas will block shots and opponents will once again be confronted with a defensive scheme that makes them deeply uncomfortable.
10. UC Irvine Anteaters
Be afraid, Big West: Mamadou Ndiaye is back for his sophomore season. Years of highly advanced studies in basketball have taught me there might be some correlation between: (a) a guy being 7-6; and (b) opponents shooting 39 percent on their 2s. Ndiaye and the Anteaters will dominate on D once again in 2014-15.
Coming at # 5(below for those who don't have Insider)
1. Arizona Wildcats
I'd feel even more confident with this pick if Aaron Gordon were still in Tucson. Nevertheless, with a healthy Brandon Ashley on hand to go along with Kaleb Tarczewski, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, T.J. McConnell and highly acclaimed freshman Stanley Johnson, I trust Sean Miller will have what he requires to put together another outstanding defense.
Keep in mind the Wildcat D can be "worse" than it was in 2013-14 and still be excellent. Last season, Arizona held Pac-12 opponents to just 0.91 points per possession. No other defense in the league allowed less than one point per trip. Miller and the Cats took their defense to a different level, and even without Gordon that D projects to be very good again in 2014-15.
2. Virginia Cavaliers
After five seasons in Charlottesville, Tony Bennett has instilled his values so thoroughly that Virginia fans now applaud good defensive rotations. And there was a good deal of that applause being generated last season, because the defense we saw from this group was about as good as you can get. (Favorite stat: Virginia's in-conference defense even on "effective" or turnover-less possessions was significantly better than Boston College's actual defense.) This season the Hoos have lost their best defender from a year ago (Akil Mitchell), so a correction toward normalcy is to be expected. Still, this is Bennett we're talking about, and he returns seven of his top nine players. I expect said correction will be small.
3. Louisville Cardinals
Replacing Russ Smith and his consistently high steal rate will be a challenge, but, speaking of consistency, Rick Pitino has put statistically outstanding defenses on the floor in each of the past four seasons. I expect that streak to continue, thanks to the coach's deft use of the press, a few timely blocks from Mangok Mathiang and Chris Jones' own consistently high steal rate.
4. San Diego State Aztecs
SDSU faces a huge question mark at the point guard position in the wake of Xavier Thames' departure. Then again, Steve Fisher returns six veterans from last season's eight-man rotation and adds Arizona transfer Angelo Chol and three top-100 freshmen. VCU gets all the publicity for takeaways but SDSU creates a similar degree of statistical havoc, albeit at a less frenzied pace.
5. Connecticut Huskies
I for one won't be shocked if Amida Brimah takes a big step forward this season, and if he does it will be very bad news for opposing offenses. His astronomical foul rate (seven per 40 minutes) is all that stands between the 7-foot sophomore and the proverbial breakout. And even with Brimah averaging just 16 minutes a night in conference play, UConn still held American Athletic opponents to 42 percent shooting inside the arc. If Kevin Ollie's big man can stay on the floor, this will be a very tough defense.
6. Virginia Commonwealth Rams
VCU is widely admired for forcing turnovers, and, to be sure, the Rams sure do force turnovers: Atlantic 10 opponents gave the ball away on 24 percent of their possessions in 2013-14. That number should be high again this season, courtesy of Briante Weber and his Division I-best steal percentage. (Weber will have to serve a one-game suspension before he returns to action.) But if all Shaka Smart's team did was force turnovers this defense would be markedly less effective. VCU records those takeaways without fouling at a high rate and without giving up too many easy looks. Yes, the Rams' A-10 opponents in 2014-15 will surely do better than last season's 27 percent 3-point shooting, but this will still be a very good defense.
7. Kansas Jayhawks
Relatively speaking, Bill Self had a down year as far as his defense was concerned in 2013-14. True, KU was tied for first on that side of the ball with Oklahoma State in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks, however, are accustomed to unchallenged preeminence on D, and a return to form this season won't surprise me. Who knows, if he can crack the rotation maybe Arkansas transfer Hunter Mickelson can be the next Jeff Withey, albeit a less awesome version thereof. As a freshman with the Razorbacks in 2011-12, Mickelson posted one of the best block percentages in D-I.
8. Ohio State Buckeyes
Shannon Scott might be the best defensive guard in the country, and Thad Matta has built a body of work on defense that someday soon will land him up there on the same bleachers with Jim Boeheim and Self. I don't know if the Buckeyes will score points this season, but I do expect that they will be able to prevent them.
9. Syracuse Orange
Trevor Cooney will continue to record way more steals than people seem to realize, Michael Gbinije will see minutes (possibly off the bench) as a 6-7 pest on the top line of the 2-3 zone, Rakeem Christmas will block shots and opponents will once again be confronted with a defensive scheme that makes them deeply uncomfortable.
10. UC Irvine Anteaters
Be afraid, Big West: Mamadou Ndiaye is back for his sophomore season. Years of highly advanced studies in basketball have taught me there might be some correlation between: (a) a guy being 7-6; and (b) opponents shooting 39 percent on their 2s. Ndiaye and the Anteaters will dominate on D once again in 2014-15.
