College Basketball: Top 10 Defenders from the Last 25 Years

When most people talk about a player dominating a game, they are usually talking about his ability to put the ball in the basket.

But, the following list of players imposed their will on games by their defense.

Let's look at the top 10 defenders in college basketball over the last quarter of a century.

They all have their unique strengths and specialties, but they all have one thing in common: They were able to shut opponents down like few others have been able to do.

If you think that someone should be on this list, and they are not, make your case in the comments box.

If someone is on this list and you don't think they should be, let's hear your reasons why!

10. Grant Hill: Duke

Most of the rest of the players on this list had a statistical specialty.

Either they were great at blocking shots, pulling down rebounds, stealing the ball or even taking charges.

But Grant Hill was an elite-level defensive player simply because he played great shutdown defense.

Hill's strength as a Duke defender was his incredible on-ball savvy that limited or eliminated his opponents' options.

Hill always expended more than the necessary amounts of effort and desire to stop his man.

Simply, he took pride in his defense.

Hill became the first player in ACC history to collect more than 1,900 points, 700 rebounds, 400 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocked shots.

For his effort and performance, Hill was named the 1993 NABC National Defensive Player of the Year.

9. John Linehan: Providence

John Linehan is the least recognizable name on this list by far.

However, Linehan was the ultimate pest on the floor. Even though he played college hoops back in the late '90s/early '00s, he still owns the NCAA all-time record for steals.

In 122 games at Providence, Linehan took the ball from his opponents 385 times. Wow!

He led the Big East Conference in steals three different seasons, earning the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team All-Big East honors his last two seasons.

As a senior in 2001-02, Linehan averaged 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds (an impressive stat for a player that stood 5'9"), 4.4 assists and 4.5 steals.

Linehan was selected as the 2002 NABC National Defensive Player of the Year.

8. Hasheem Thabeet: UConn

Although Hasheem Thabeet didn't play ball until he was 15, he immediately burst onto the UConn hoops scene right off the bat his freshman season.

Because of his length (7'3" with an even wider wingspan), no shot that went up in the lane was safe with Thabeet around.

He had some genuine offensive limitations, but Thabeet led the nation in blocked shots all three of his seasons in Storrs (417 in three years).

Thabeet won the 2008 and 2009 NABC National Defensive Player of the Year awards.

7. Shelden Williams: Duke

Shelden Williams was a force on the defensive end.

Because Williams was powerfully aggressive and had crazy shot-blocking skills, he more than earned the nickname "The Landlord."

A classic banger, Williams holds Duke's career (442) and single-season (137) blocks records, as well as the career rebounding record (1,262).

Williams won consecutive NABC National Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2005 and 2006.

6. Kenyon Martin: Cincinnati

Kenyon Martin was a ferocious defensive player at Cincinnati.

Very few players have played with more energy and edge than Martin.

He could shut down anything from shooting guards to power forwards.

All shots were contested by Martin, but not necessarily in a way that left him or his teammates exposed if he didn't get the block.

Especially during his senior year when he won just about every college player of the year award that exists and was selected as the 2000 NABC National Defensive Player of the Year, Martin dominated games on both ends of the court.

5. Alonzo Mourning: Georgetown

Alonzo Mourning was a warrior from the day he stepped on the court at Georgetown.

No one drove the lane on 'Zo without being tenaciously challenged, usually with some sort of physical contact too.

He led the nation in blocked shots as a freshman (169) and finished his four-year Hoya career with 453 rejections (No. 5 of all-time).

Mourning was a two-time All-American and was selected as 1992 NABC National Player of the Year. 

4. Emeka Okafor: UConn

Emeka Okafor was an absolute physical freak in his three years at UConn.

At 6'10" 257 lbs, Okafor was one of the most imposing players to ever play in the Big East.

Though he only played three years for the Huskies, Okafor is currently the No. 10 all-time leading shot blocker (441 blocks; 4.3 BPG), many of those coming from off the ball.

He led the nation in blocks two of his three years and was second in the country his freshman season.

Okafor was a two-time NABC National Defensive Player of the Year, the 2004 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, a first-team All-American and the Big East Player of the Year.

3. Shane Battier: Duke

Shane Battier's ability to impact a game on defense was remarkable.

Battier could effectively lock down three positions (shooting guards, wing forwards and power forwards).

From a stats standpoint, he filled the box score with so much more than points.

Battier's signature was his uncanny knack for taking charges. He finished as Duke's all-time leader in charges taken with 111, 48 more than the school's runner-up (Billy King). Even when he didn't get the call, he disrupted his opponents' path to the basket.

Battier is also the No. 2 Blue Devil in terms of steals (266) and No. 3 in blocked shots (254).

Battier was the third three-time NABC National Defensive Player of the Year honoree. Nice.

2. Stacey Augmon: UNLV

Few players in the last quarter century could do what Stacey Augmon did on the defensive end of the court when he played at UNLV.

At 6'6," he could guard point guards through power forwards.

Augmon earned the nickname “Plastic Man” because of his length and skill at deflecting passes and blocking shots. 

Augmon was the first three-time winner of the NABC National Defensive Player of the Year, winning the award in 1989, 1990 and 1991.

1. Tim Duncan: Wake Forest

Tim Duncan is the top defensive player in college basketball over the last quarter of a century.

He was a two-time All-American and two-time ACC Player of the Year as much because of his defense as his offense.

Even more than his numbers, Duncan's footwork and positioning were second to none. But, his 1,570 rebounds puts him in the top 20 all-time.

Duncan's anticipation and timing helped him to overcome slightly above-average athleticism to become the second-leading shot blocker (481; 3.8 BPG) in NCAA history.

Duncan, along with Battier and Augmon, was a three-time NABC National Defensive Player of the Year Award recipient.