The best defense in college basketball last season, the Michigan Wolverines, won the National Championship. With the rise of offensive efficiency in college basketball, being able to slow down those forces becomes even more important. Here are five defenses that could carry these teams deep into March this season.
1. Duke Blue Devils
Duke has finished top-5 in KenPom's Adjusted Defensive rating the last two seasons, and there's plenty of reason to believe that Duke can finish up there again.
Duke utilizes size and length to be able to switch 1 through 4, making it difficult for offenses to create any advantage via screens. The center generally does a great job of providing backline defense if the switching falls apart.
Despite losing Maliq Brown and Cam Boozer, Duke returns the defensive core of Cayden Boozer, Dame Sarr and Patrick Ngongba, three players with All-Defense potential. Dame Sarr made the ACC All-Defense team last season, and he's one of the premier wing defenders in the sport.
7-foot-2 Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje will create one of the biggest front courts with Patrick Ngonba, and teams are going to find it incredibly difficult to score at the rim.
2. Florida Gators
Florida had the sixth-best KenPom defense last season, and they return four starters and multiple bench players this season.
The Gators were one of the best defensive rebounding teams last season, and that should happen once again with Reuben Chinyelu returning. Florida plays multiple bigs together that dominate the paint, and this allows the perimeter defenders to not help much. This leads to offenses being forced into a lot of tough shots.
Chinyelu, Alex Condon, and Thomas Haugh provide interior stability while guards like Boogie Fland and Denzel Aberdeen can be pests out on the perimeter, applying consistent pressure to ball handlers.
3. Arizona Wildcats
Arizona was second defensively in the country last season per KenPom, the best ranking under head coach Tommy Lloyd.
The Wildcats protect the paint with their drop coverage defensive system against pick and rolls. They rely on size and physicality to force teams to take mid-range shots, the most inefficient shot in college basketball.
7-foot-2 Motiejus Krivas was one of the catalysts of the defense last season, and he'll be asked to man the middle again. 6-foot-7 Ivan Kharchenkov was one of the premiere defenders last season with his ability to guard multiple positions. Caleb Holt heads to Arizona as a top-5 prospect in the class and has been labeled as one of the best freshman defenders for the upcoming season.
4. Houston Cougars
A list about the best defenses in college basketball is incomplete without Houston on the list. Head coach Kelvin Sampson has led Houston to a top-5 defense in each of the last four seasons, and a top-10 defense in each of the last six seasons.
Houston wants to apply pressure as much as possible, playing an aggressive high hedge scheme that can trap ball handlers in a moment's notice. They force lots of turnovers but are disciplined enough to force tough shots even when a turnover doesn't happen.
Joseph Tugler will be the front runner for National Defensive Player of the Year with his ability to run this Houston defense. Mercy Miller and Chase McCarty returned to Houston and project to be players that defend well on the perimeter.
Regardless of talent or pedigree, Sampson has proved he can turn any roster into an elite defensive team.
5. UConn Huskies
Dan Hurley led UConn to the National Championship game last season, headlined with a top-10 defense.
UConn has played multiple defensive coverages over the last few seasons, but the staples among them all have been limiting help off of 3-point shooters and protecting the rim with rotations and dominant bigs.
Silas Demary Jr. and Jayden Ross both returned to UConn, and they form arguably the best defensive backcourt in the country with their ability to apply on ball pressure and not miss defensive rotations. Najai Hines transferred in from Seton Hall, where he had a block rate of 16.4 percent, the second-highest in the country last season.
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