Atlanta (March 21, 2025) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club today announced the finalists for the 2025 Naismith Women’s and Men’s Defensive Players of the Year Presented by MOLECULE.
The current season has underscored the exceptional defensive prowess of these finalists,” said Eric Oberman, president of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “With their outstanding achievements on the court, these players set the standard for defensive excellence in college basketball, making the selection process daunting for our voters.”
The women’s finalists include UCLA’s Lauren Betts, who was named the Big 10’s Defensive Player of the Year. She has led the Bruins to the No. 1 ranking in the nation and is fifth in the country in blocked shots (2.9 bpg). Hannah Hildalgo was named the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and was fourth in the nation in steals (3.7 spg).
West Virginia’s JJ Quinerly earned her second consecutive Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award, as she was second in the league with 3.11 steals per game while leading her team to the best scoring defense in the conference (55.5 ppg). USC sophomore JuJu Watkins enters the NCAA Tournament, averaging 2.2 steals and 1.9 blocks per game.
FULL NAME CLASS POSITION SCHOOL CONFERENCE
Lauren Betts Junior Center UCLA Big 10
Hannah Hildalgo Sophomore Guard Notre Dame ACC
JJ Quinerly Senior Guard West Virginia Big 12
JuJu Watkins Sophomore Forward USC Big 10
Creighton senior Ryan Kalkbrenner was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, becoming only the second player in conference history – alongside Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing – to win the award four times. Joseph Tugler, a sophomore forward from Houston, was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12. He anchored a Cougar defense that limited opponents to the second lowest per game average (58.5 ppg) while personally contributing 2.1 blocks per game.
The other finalists are seniors Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler from Tennessee. Mashack earned a spot on the All-Southeastern Conference Defensive Team, while Zeigler was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Zeigler made history as the first player to be named to the All-SEC Defensive Team four times.
FULL NAME CLASS POSITION SCHOOL CONFERENCE
Ryan Kalkbrenner Senior Center Creighton BIG EAST
Jahmai Mashack Senior Guard Tennessee SEC
Joseph Tugler Sophomore Forward Houston Big 12
Zakai Zeigler Senior Guard Tennessee SEC
“MOLECULE is honored to recognize the exceptional defensive prowess of these talented players,” said Kevin Blossom, SVP and General Manager of MOLECULE. “Their defensive excellence is a testament to their dedication, and we look forward to seeing their continued impact in the future for their teams.”
This year, fans will have a say in determining the winner through the Naismith Awards Fan Vote presented by Jersey Mike’s. Starting March 25, fans can visit http://www.naismithfanvote.com or on X (@naismithtrophy) to cast their ballot for one of these four finalists for the 2025 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year presented by MOLECULE. Voting ends at 12 p.m. EDT on April 1, and fans are limited to one vote per day. The fan vote will account for 5% of the total vote.