Anthony Davis and the 25 Best Natural Shot-Blockers in College Hoops History

One of the most thrilling plays on the hardwood is the blocked shot, and over the years, college basketball has seen some phenomenal shot-blockers.

The truly elite shot-swatters possess sharp instincts, abundant athleticism and a hunger for defense.

Many of the best shot-blockers aren't even on powerhouse teams because defensive specialists aren't recruited as much.

So, who are the best natural shot-blockers in college hoops history? Have a look at this all-time swat team of defensive masters.

25. Jerome James, Florida A&M Rattlers

Before he played for the Harlem Globetrotters, Montenegro KK Buducnost or New York Knicks, Jerome James hit the hardwood at Florida A&M.

While in Tallahassee, James used his imposing size and skills to consistently stuff challengers.

In fact, he was so consistent that his three seasons for the Rattlers yielded almost identical block results: 119 blocks in his freshman and sophomore year, then 125 the following year.

24. Theo Ratliffe, Wyoming Cowboys

Before his long and productive NBA career, Theo Ratliff played college ball at Wyoming.

While hooping for the Cowboys, Ratliff obliterated all sorts of records and shot attempts. Over his 111-game career from 1991 to 1995, Ratliff blocked 425 shots.

His collegiate success translated to the pro level, where he became one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA.

23. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut Huskies

This photo aptly depicts how hopeless things were for Hasheem Thabeet's opponents.

He might not be the best all-time Connecticut Husky defender, but he was still an elite rim guardian. The Tanzanian Tower disrupted 417 shots in just three seasons, and he probably altered or discouraged twice that amount. 

Check out some of Thabeet's highlights at UConn.

22. Tarvis Williams, Hampton Pirates

Tarvis Williams played at Hampton, an obscure MEAC team, but he made national headlines a few times while he was there.

Williams averaged five blocks per game his freshman year and led the country in blocks in 1999 and 2001.

Then, in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, Williams shook the basketball world to its core with his game-winning shot that propelled No. 15 seed Hampton to victory over second-seeded Iowa State.

21. Marvin Webster, Morgan State Bears

It takes a monumental reputation and an unparalleled resume to make this list as a non-Division I player. That's how good Marvin Webster was.

Back when Morgan State was a Division II school, Marvin Webster dominated the low post for the Bears.

From 1971 to 1975, "The Human Eraser" swatted 722 shots and grabbed 2,267 rebounds. Although he was playing at a small school, he still got drafted and played in the NBA for nine years.

20. Mickell Gladness, Alabama A&M Bulldogs

The SWAC conference got a heavy dose of SWAT when Mickell Gladness was playing for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs.

In 2006-2007, Gladness blocked 188 shots and registered the fourth-highest block-per-game rate in NCAA history.

Texas Southern got a particularly painful dose of Gladness as he turned back 16 shots, which demolished the Division I record.

19. Patrick Ewing, Georgetown Hoyas

As one of the best college basketball players ever, Patrick Ewing could do it all, and that included protecting the rim against any challenger.

Ewing blocked a truckload of shots throughout his career at Georgetown, and even though he became a well-known shot-stuffer, shooters still couldn't manage to escape his wrath.

When his illustrious college career was over, he had racked up almost 500 blocked shots unofficially. That's pretty good for a guy who was busy scoring 2,000 points on the other end of the court.

18. Hassan Whiteside, Marshall Thundering Herd

During his lone season in college, Marshall Thundering Herd center Hassan Whiteside did some serious damage to Conference USA, bringing an unpleasant block party to every team he faced.

Whiteside amassed 182 blocks in the 2009-2010 season, so if he stayed all four years, we'd be talking about 700 to 800 blocks and a record-breaking career.

For the past two years, he's bounced up and down from the NBA to the NBDL, so it remains to be seen whether he'll stick as a backup center in the Association.

17. Deng Gai, Fairfield Stags

Fairfield's 6'9" forward, Deng Gai, was an impact defender from day one of his freshman year, so you can imagine how good he became by his senior year.

Gai led the country in blocked shots in 2005, as he interrupted 165 shot attempts.

His impressive collegiate resume didn't earn him much NBA opportunity, and he soon began a career in the minor leagues and European leagues. He currently plays for Palangos Naglis.

16. Wojciech Myrda, Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks

Louisiana Monroe's 7'2" Wojciech Myrda rejected a total of 535 shots over the course of his career, breaking the NCAA Division I record for career blocks.

The Warhawk pivot man was primarily a defensive player, although his offensive numbers reached double-digits by his junior and senior years.

Myrda went on to play professional hoops in Europe for four years, a rather underwhelming post-college career for such a prolific net-minder.

15. Emeka Okafor, Connecticut Huskies

Connecticut Huskies center Emeka Okafor patrolled the paint for Jim Calhoun from 2001 to 2004, and he made his presence felt on both ends of the floor.

He won the 2004 NCAA Championship and NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors largely due to his defensive prowess.

The 6'10" shot-stuffer sent back 441 shot attempts over the course of his UConn career, and he's one of the best all-around players the Big East has ever seen.

14. Ken Johnson, Ohio State Buckeyes

Ken Johnson is one of the best shot-blockers in Big Ten history, and the Ohio State Buckeyes were lucky to have him on their side.

In his junior year in Columbus, Johnson had one of the best shot-blocking campaigns in NCAA history.

The 1999-2000 season saw Johnson send back 161 shots, giving him 5.4 blocks per game.

Regardless of his defensive capabilities, Johnson didn't have the offensive skills to make it in the NBA.

13. Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown Hoyas

Dikembe "Mount" Mutombo was a part of one of the best shot-blocking tandems in college hoops history with Alonzo Mourning.

He played just three years at Georgetown, but he made them count. In his last two seasons as a Hoya, he swatted 279 shots, including 12 in one game.

Mutombo played physical defense to get himself in position, then used his long reach to block even the most effective offensive players.

12. Shaquille O'Neal, LSU Tigers

Imagine Shaquille O'Neal 40-50 pounds lighter and 20 years younger. That's what the LSU Tigers enjoyed during his stint in Baton Rouge.

The strong, powerful and agile O'Neal used his explosiveness to reject hundreds of shots in college. Throughout his sophomore and junior seasons (his last two campaigns in college), he blocked over five shots per game.

This video includes a few impressive Shaq swats.

11. Marcus Camby, Massachusetts Minutemen

Massachusetts' most famous big man, Marcus Camby, is one of the best natural shot-blockers the NCAA has ever seen.

His long arms and agility helped him become one of the most potent swatters in the country.

He put together a solid career at UMass, including more than 300 blocks and a scintillating run to the Final Four in 1996. During Massachusetts' postseason run, Camby blocked a mind-boggling 43 shots.

10. Keith Closs, Central Connecticut State Blue Devils

Keith Closs, a 7'3" tower for Central Connecticut State, averaged an astounding 6.36 blocks per game in 1996 en route to an NCAA-record career mark of 5.87 blocks per game.

The center's mastery of rejection got the attention of NBA scouts after he played a brief stint in the CBA.

It's unfortunate that his career with the Clippers was derailed by personal problems and a lackluster offensive game, because fans would have loved to see more swats from Closs.

9. Shawn James, Northeastern and Duquesne

He wasn't regularly featured on SportsCenter. He's not one of Dickie V's limelight favorites. He didn't even make the NBA.

But Shawn James blocked more shots per game (6.04) throughout his career than anyone in the history of Division I college basketball.

He displayed his defensive mastery for both Northeastern and Duquesne, and had a career total of 443 blocks.

8. Tim Duncan, Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Tim Duncan is one of only a handful of players who registered more than 100 blocks in all four years of college.

He was a skilled center who ruled the paint in the ACC, and he was one of the best collegiate post players of the 1990s.

You know you're on top of the college hoops world when your trophy mantle includes the 1997 Naismith Award, 1997 Wooden Award and 1996-1997 ACC POY trophy.

7. Anthony Davis, Kentucky Wildcats

It's weird to think that a kid born in 1993 can be included on this list full of history. But we can safely include Anthony Davis in this group, because he will go down as one of the best shot-blockers ever.

He's stuffing nearly five shots per game for the Kentucky Wildcats so far.

We knew early on that he'd be a one-man swat team. He blocked seven shots against Kansas in Madison Square Garden in November.

Great instincts and even better agility help him come out of nowhere and ruin shooters' evenings.

6. Adonal Foyle, Colgate Raiders

Adonal Foyle once held the NCAA all-time record for blocks despite only playing three seasons (1994-1997).

His worst blocks-per-season output was 147, a statistic that almost every other college basketball player would love to have. He had the physique and tools to be extremely effective, especially at a lower-tier Division I school.

Foyle's 6.43 blocks per game in 1997 is still second on the all-time charts, and it was good enough to earn him looks from NBA scouts and a healthy pro career.

5. Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown Hoyas

A two-time All-American and 1992 Big East Conference Player of the Year, Alonzo Mourning made his mark in Georgetown early and often.

Mourning led the country in blocked shots in his freshman year, rejecting 169 attempts. His overall strength, explosiveness and instincts helped him dominate the paint.

He and Dikembe Mutombo paired up to form an extremely formidable frontcourt for John Thompson's Bulldogs.

4. Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Southeastern Conference has been home to some of the greatest rim protectors in college hoops, and Jarvis Varnado is right up there with the best of them.

Mississippi State's 6'9" forward used his length and defensive intuition to break Wojciech Myrda's Division I blocks record; Varnado ended up with 564 career blocks.

Varnado didn't have ridiculous block-per-game output, he just consistently performed all four years in Starkville.

3. Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Cougars

Nigerian native Hakeem Olajuwon didn't pick up a basketball until he was a teenager, but he was an immediate-impact shot-blocker in college for the Houston Cougars.

His absurd athleticism, body control and timing helped him make some incredible stops. He piled up 454 blocks (unofficially) in three years and terrorized Southwest Conference competitors.

The Phi Slama Jama sensation eventually developed into a phenomenal all-around player and NBA champion.

2. Bill Russell, San Francisco Dons

Bill Russell is known as one of the best shot-blockers in NBA history, and he was just as successful defensively in college.

His combination of footwork, athleticism and instinct helped him anchor the San Francisco Dons defense and lead them to NCAA Titles in 1955 and 1956. During those championship years, the Dons had a stretch of 55 straight wins.

Winning and blocking shots was something Russell would continue to do for years as a professional.

1. David Robinson, Navy Midshipmen

No defender possessed the blend of skills, strength, smarts and leaping ability that Navy's David Robinson owned.

Robinson's four-year career with the Midshipmen featured 516 blocks, and his most outstanding season was in his junior year. The 1985-1986 season saw Robinson block 207 shots and alter countless others.

His determination, physical gifts and court awareness helped him influence the game dramatically on both ends of the court.