Ranking the Top Defensive Stoppers in College Basketball in 2015-16

Drives, dunks and three-pointers are what make the highlight shows, but defense is just as important a part of college basketball as any of those crowd-pleasing plays. And if not for lockdown defenders, there'd be so many of those those dunks and dimes that they'd become far less exciting and unique.

Playing defense is something that every coach tries to preach to his players, but for most this only sinks in at a basic level. For those who take this to heart and make it a true part of their game, however, they become known for this aspect.

We've ranked the top 20 defensive stoppers in college basketball heading into the 2015-16 season, using their ability to rebound, force steals, block shots and just get in the way on defense to determine which are the best. We're looking for all-around great defenders, not just ones who are are good in one area but slack in others.

Check to see if someone from your team made the cut, and then give us your thoughts in the comments section.

20. Alex Poythress, Kentucky

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'8", 238 lbs

Kentucky was arguably the best defensive team in the country last season, holding opponents to 54.3 points per game and 35.4 percent shooting. And the Wildcats did that without having the services of one of their best defensive players for much of 2014-15.

Alex Poythress was on pace for a monster year on the defensive side of the ball before suffering a knee injury in December, ending his season. As part of Kentucky's platoon system, Poythress averaged 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just over 20.3 minutes per game, swatting 7.9 percent of opponents' shots when on the floor.

For his career, Poythress has collected more than 16 percent of defensive rebounds.

19. Jevon Carter, West Virginia

David Richard/Associated Press

Year: Sophomore

Position: Guard

Height, weight: 6'2", 185 lbs

West Virginia's formula for success last season was a frenetic attack that maximized forcing turnovers. The Mountaineers led the nation in steal rate at 15.5 percent, with seven players recording at least 32 steals.

Jevon Carter was the catalyst of that swipe-happy ground in his first college season, with 67 swipes in 35 games. That came in less than 24 minutes per contest, leading to an individual steal rate of 4.7 percent.

18. Paris Lee, Illinois State

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Year: Junior

Position: Guard

Height, weight: 5'11", 183 lbs

Players under six feet tall have to find a way to impact the game on the defensive end much lower to the ground than the big men who dominate the sport. This often results in great hands that result in either knocking the ball away or stealing it, and Paris Lee has become a master at this.

Lee had 82 steals as a sophomore, turning 5.1 percent of opponents' possessions into a turnover that helped Illinois State control games.

17. Amida Brimah, Connecticut

Fred Beckham/Associated Press

Year: Junior

Position: Center

Height, weight: 7'0", 217 lbs

Noted college basketball analyst Bill Raftery turned heads in 2014 when he said on The John Feinstein Show he believed Connecticut's Amida Brimah would be as good as Dikembe Mutombo in two years. And that was before Brimah blocked a national-best 121 shots in 2014-15.

Despite averaging less than 21 minutes per game for his career, Brimah has 213 blocks and swats away 15 percent of opponent shots when on the court. A lack of an offensive game or a strong instinct for rebounds has limited Brimah's overall impact to this point, but there's no questioning his value when defending the paint.

16. Kris Dunn, Providence

Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Year: Junior

Position: Guard

Height, weight: 6'3", 205 lbs

Kris Dunn's amazing ball-handling skills and scoring prowess made him a strong candidate to be a high draft pick had he left college after his sophomore season. But by returning for at least one more year, Dunn will allow NBA scouts to also see how solid a defender he is.

Dunn had 90 steals in 33 games last season, a 4.9 percent steal rate that was tied for fifth-best in the country. He also held his own on the defensive glass, grabbing 16.1 percent of missed shots on the defensive end.

15. Anthony Gill, Virginia

Bob Jordan/Associated Press

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'8", 230 lbs

The "Pack Line" defense that Virginia has used to become the class of the ACC the past two seasons revolves around swarming opposing players when they get the ball inside, thus forcing them to pass out to the perimeter and make long jumpers. When they choose to try to put it up in the paint, though, Anthony Gill was there to remind them of how bad a decision that was.

The Cavaliers held opponents to 36.7 percent shooting in 2014-15, third-lowest in the country, and just 51.5 points per game. When Gill was in the lineup, opponents averaged 86.7 points per 100 possessions, slightly better than the team's defensive rating (87.2) that ranked second in Division.

A fifth-year senior who began his career at South Carolina, his return for 2015-16 more than makes up for the departure of fellow forward Darion Atkins in terms of defensive presence.

14. Shawn Long, Louisiana-Lafayette

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'11", 246 lbs

Shawn Long has had one of the most accomplished yet underrated careers in college basketball over the past three seasons, toiling in near-relative anonymity at Louisiana-Lafayette after beginning his career at Mississippi State. He's made just one NCAA tournament appearance, losing to Creighton in the second round in 2014, but otherwise hasn't gotten much attention.

That's despite averaging a double-double all three years, averaging at least 10.2 rebounds per game each season. He has 52 career double-doubles, making him the active NCAA leader, per his online bio.

Long is particularly adept at cleaning up the glass on defense, ranking seventh in defensive rebounding percentage nationally in 2014-15 at 27.7 while collecting 72 steals and blocking 212 shots in his career.

13. Amdy Fall, St. Francis (New York)

Mel Evans/Associated Press

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'7", 220 lbs

Amdy Fall still has a way to go to become a star because of a lack of offensive skills, but he's got the defensive part down pat. He showed that last year with 80 blocks and a 12.4 percent block rate, which tied for sixth best in the country, while only playing just over 23 minutes per game.

Fall had a dozen games with at least four blocks last season, including a four-block effort against Georgetown to open the year.

His work down low enabled St. Francis (New York) to go 15-3 in the Northeast Conference, though a loss to Robert Morris in the NEC tournament title game kept the Terriers from making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.

12. Alonzo Nelson-Ododa, Pittsburgh

Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'9", 210 lbs

Pittsburgh's reputation as being a solid defensive team in coach Jamie Dixon's tenure took a hit in 2014-15 when the Panthers allowed opponents to shoot 44.8 percent and grab 48.5 percent of all missed shots. Not surprisingly, Pitt missed out on the NCAA tournament and lost at home to George Washington in the first round of the NIT.

The Panthers hope the additions of three frontcourt transfers—JUCO product Rozelle Nix, former Brown big man Rafael Maia and ex-Richmond post Alonzo Nelson-Ododa—will help on the defensive end. Nelson-Ododa has been a proven commodity in this area, grabbing 18.6 percent of defensive rebounds in his three seasons at Richmond.

Nelson-Ododa also has 185 career blocks and 60 career steals, with 45 blocks last year. No Pitt player had more than 28 blocks in 2014-15.

11. Vashil Fernandez, Valparaiso

Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

Year: Senior

Position: Center

Height, weight: 6'10", 260 lbs

Vashil Fernandez was an incredibly productive defender for Valparaiso throughout this career, a run that supposed to end in 2014-15. It was the Jamaican native's fourth season with the program, but he wasn't able to play as a freshman in 2011-12 after being declared ineligible.

However, the NCAA gave Fernandez back that fourth year of eligibility in July, per Rob Dauster of NBC Sports Talk, which gives "one of the nation's stingiest defenses" a huge boost for next season.

Fernandez averaged 6.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game last season, swatting 97 shots in 841 minutes. That came out to a block percentage of 14.1, third-best in Division I. That enabled Valparaiso to hold opponents to 59.4 points per game 38.2 percent shooting (which ranked sixth in the country) en route to an NCAA tournament appearance.

10. Egidijus Mockevicius, Evansville

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Year: Senior

Position: Center

Height, weight: 6'10", 225 lbs

The name is difficult to spell and pronounce, but those attempts are nothing compared to what it takes to score on Egidijus Mockevicius. Or, rather, try to score on him after missing the first shot.

A whopping 32.7 percent of opponent misses were reined in by Mockevicius, a defensive rebound percentage that led Division I by a good margin. He also blocked 8.7 percent of shots when he was in action then often rebounded that swatted shot.

Mockevicius had 14 games with at least nine defensive boards last season, including as part of a 27-point, 12-rebound effort to help Evansville beat Northern Arizona for the CollegeInsider.com Tournament championship in April.

9. Jordan Fouse, Green Bay

Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'7", 225 lbs

Jordan Fouse has played his career in the shadow of what electric guard Keifer Sykes was able to accomplish with the Phoenix. Now that Sykes has moved on and Fouse remains for one more season, maybe now he'll start getting his due as an essential piece of his program's recent success.

A three-time Horizon League All-Defensive Team selection, Fouse has 187 career steals and 134 career blocks. He's also had at least 150 defensive rebounds every year and grabs the defensive rebounds 17.5 percent of the time.

Green Bay held opponents to 40.5 percent shooting and 60.8 points per game last season, with Fouse pacing that prevention.

8. Dre Wills, Vermont

Year: Junior

Position: Guard

Height, weight: 6'1", 177 lbs

Vermont won 20 games and reached the semifinals of the CBI postseason tournament thanks to a defense that allowed 59.2 points per game and held opponents to 38.6 percent shooting, which was ninth-best in the country. Not many people noticed, though, because the Catamounts played in the America East Conference and didn't face much notable competition along the way.

That's unfortunate, for those who got a chance to check out Vermont not only saw a great team approach to defense, but some stellar individual play on that end of the court from Dre Wills, one of the top steal men in the nation.

Wills' 63 steals didn't come close to the national lead, but his 4.2 percent steal rate was 17th overall. And the tiny guard also managed to block 3.9 percent of shots while on the court and collect 15.8 percent of defensive rebounds.

7. James Webb III, Boise State

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Year: Junior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'9", 202 lbs

The exciting play of guard Derrick Marks was what most people will remember about Boise State's 25-win season in 2014-15, though the Broncos were just as noted for their defense as what Marks could do in the clutch. James Webb paced this attack, which held opponents to 60.1 points per game.

A long and lean post player who managed not to let his lack of girth be an issue, Webb averaged 11.2 points and 8.0 rebounds in his first season with Boise following a redshirt year and a stint at North Idaho Junior College. The Mountain West's Newcomer of the Year snared 27.6 percent of defensive rebounds when he was on the court, which ranked eighth best in Division I.

Webb had a school-NCAA tournament record 13 rebounds (11 defensive) in Boise's First Four loss to Dayton.

6. Markus Kennedy, SMU

Fred Beckham/Associated Press

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'9", 245 lbs

SMU ranked 20th in the country last season in scoring defense at 59.8 points per game, but in games that Markus Kennedy participated that rate was 58.5. Kennedy missed the first 10 games of last year after being ruled academically ineligible for the first semester, but when he returned, he fueled a Mustangs defense that held opponents to 38.1 percent shooting.

That figure ranked fifth best in Division I and was a big reason why SMU reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1993.

Kennedy grabbed more than 19 percent of defensive rebounds while also registering 33 steals and 20 blocks. He only played 23 minutes per game but still managed to make an impact each moment he was on the floor.

5. Skylar Spencer, San Diego State

David Becker/Getty Images

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'10", 240 lbs

Fans of offense and uptempo play will have trouble watching San Diego State play because the Aztecs are one of the more plodding teams in the country and one that frequently struggles to score. But when they're able to put points on the board, it often comes from transition plays started by Skylar Spencer's defense.

Spencer has only averaged 3.8 points per game in his three seasons at SDSU, including 3.7 per game in 2014-15. But what he lacks in scoreboard production he makes up for in denying opponents from doing the same, as he blocked 12.4 percent of shots taken while on the court last year while also collecting 16.5 percent of available defensive rebounds.

Though it was in a losing effort, Spencer had four blocks against Duke in the third round of the NCAA tournament.

4. Gary Payton II, Oregon State

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Year: Senior

Position: Guard

Height, weight: 6'3", 175 lbs

Gary Payton II was destined to be a star defensive player, if only because he shared the same genes as a former college and NBA star whose nickname was "The Glove."

In his first season playing for his father's alma mater, Payton showed off the same traits that Gary Sr. used at Oregon State and in the pros to help the Beavers put together a very solid 17-14 record. OSU ranked 14th in the country in scoring defense at 59.2 points per game, and its .386 field-goal percentage defense was 10th-best in Division I.

Following a two-year stint at a junior college, Payton erupted as a junior with the Beavers to tie for the national lead in steals per game (3.1) with Eastern Kentucky's Corey Walden. His 5.4 steal percentage was second in the nation, but he also was surprisingly adept at blocking shots (37) and collecting defensive rebounds (167) despite only being 6'3".

3. Hassan Martin, Rhode Island

Stew Milne/Associated Press

Year: Junior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'7", 230 lbs

The fourth most prolific shot-blocker in Division I last season, with 103 swats in 33 games, Hassan Martin's defensive approach is about far more than trying to spike opponents' shots into the crowd. It had to be when he was regularly defending players much taller than him in the post.

Martin averaged 7.7 rebounds per game, the majority of which came on the defensive glass. When on the court, he hauled in 21.7 percent of defensive boards, many of which came either after blocking a shot or doing enough to alter its course without actually making contact.

With Martin disrupting down low, Rhode Island held opponents to 40.2 percent shooting and 60.2 points per game last season en route to a 23-10 record.

2. Daniel Ochefu, Villanova

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'11", 245 lbs

Daniel Ochefu has had a solid career at Villanova, though there's always been a wish that the sizable post player could be more of a factor on offense for the Wildcats. No such issues have ever been registered about Ochefu's defense, however.

Despite playing just 24 minutes per game last season, Ochefu had 210 defensive rebounds, 31 steals and 50 blocks, all of which helped Villanova hold opponents to 40.6 percent shooting and 60.9 points per game.

Ochefu has done this without ever putting himself in much foul trouble. Last year he committed only 76 fouls in 864 minutes, fouling out only once in 36 contests.

1. Shonn Miller, Connecticut

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6'7", 210 lbs

Connecticut allowed only 60 points per game last season, but that was as much a product of pace as strong defense. But the Huskies are poised to be a truly deadly defensive team in 2015-16 thanks to the addition of Cornell's Shonn Miller, who in his career has made a name for himself as not just one of the most complete players in the game, but also one who puts a premium on strong defense.

Miller, who averaged 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds last season, was the sixth-best defensive rebounder in the country by collecting 27.8 percent of missed shots while he was on the court. He also contributed to Cornell's 61.3 points-per-game average by recording 38 steals and 54 blocks, all of which contributed to a stellar 85.7 defensive rating that ranked seventh in Division I.

"Defense is probably my No. 1 thing," Miller told Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant. "I hold that as one of my staples."

Combined with shot-blocking stud Amida Brimah, Connecticut is going to be very difficult to score on this season.

All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.