RealGM

What is the best defensive team in the nation?
Some of my favorites:
West-Virginia
-The 4 forward lineup is really versatile, can switch with almost any position
Texas
Really tough perimeter defense with Bradley/Balbay/Mason, great defensive rebounding team.
Purdue
Kramer is the best perimeter defender in the Big 10. Great perimeter-D, Johnson is a great shot-blocker.
Duke
Really solid team-D, as usual.
Florida State
Alabi & Singleton in the middle, enough said.
Louisville
Great perimeter defense, great ball-pressure! Samuels/Jennings duo plays good post-D.
Missouri
Some great perimeter defenders, but lack the post-presence.

Yours??

Pitt should definitely be on this list.

Polynice4Pippen wrote:Pitt should definitely be on this list.

Good call! Dixon, Gibbs & Wanamaker form a great defensive trio on the perimeter and McGhee is really underrated post-defender.

Wake Forest has got some great perimeter defenders in Smith/Harris/Williams, and great size on the front court.

Pittsburgh is certainly up for consideration. Also, you have to look at Syracuse (who could be the best this year) and Missouri. Finally, I would consider Kansas St for the title of best defensive team. Overall, I would say it is either Pitt, Kansas St., or Syracuse.

Louisville doesn't deserve to be on this list. Our only good defender is Preston Knowles. Everything else is system. We're solid, but not stand-out.

Samuels is undersized, frequently out of position, and doesn't put in the effort unless he's involved on the other side of the ball. He's strong, though.

Terrance Jennings has outstanding defensive potential, and is a very good man defender, but struggles with rotations and is accordingly regularly out of position.

Swopshire might be a decent defender at the three, but he's been playing the four all year and gives up way to much strength. Watching him try to guard Demarcus Cousins was painful, though he worked his ass off.

Peyton Siva might develop into a decent on the ball defender, but we won't know til next year.

Kansas is the best defensive team in the Big 12 this year. Kansas State might be next.

After watching their conference tourney, I'll be curious to see how Northern Iowa's defense looks outside of the Missouri Valley.

IMO Florida State is the best defensive team in the country. Sadly, their offense is so hot and cold that even being great defensively does not always help.

How about best defender in the country?
Cole Aldrich would be my choice.

Of course there are guys I haven't seen, like Whiteside, but from the youtube footage I've seen he is not a good post-defender 1 on 1.

Finn Man wrote:How about best defender in the country?
Cole Aldrich would be my choice.

Of course there are guys I haven't seen, like Whiteside, but from the youtube footage I've seen he is not a good post-defender 1 on 1.

I would go with Aldrich or Alabi.