Best Pirate Backcourt Defenders Last 25 years

[LeftCoastPirates]

This topic kind of came up in another thread. Figured it would be a fun topic to discuss.

I’ll give you my top 5 in no particular order. Have fun sharing your thoughts or alternative selections.

Isaiah Whitehead

• My personal pick for #1 if I had to rank them.
• In his second season 1.2 spg and 1.4 blocks per game. Think about that second stat as a guard.

Quincy McKnight

• 1.6 spg career average at the Hall
• Thought his extended ball pressure on the other team’s PG set the tone for a top 15 team in the country.

Fuquan Edwin

• All BE defensive player of the year 2013-14
• 295 career steals (#1 SHU history)
• 7th all time in career BE steals
• Led BE in steals 2 times
• Led nation in steal with 102 in 2011-12
• Top 15 in BE defensive rebounding 2 times

Paul Gause

• 256 career steals
• 3rd best in program history
• Led BE in steals twice
• This guy can be in my Foxhole anytime

Derrick Gordon

• His numbers don’t jump off the page for his one season as SHU (1 steal per game)
• But those who know, remember that Gordon regardless of his offensive limitations, was always on the court down the stretch for that team. He and Whitehead were a lethal combo shutting down opposing guards as that team hits its stride late in the season.

Honorable Mention:
Jordan Theodore

• High energy defender off the bench early in his career
• Averaged 1.4 spg over his career
• Finished top 8 the BE in steals per game twice.
• Averaged a personal best 1.8 steals per game his senior season while being asked to shoulder a huge load of minutes and offensive usage rate.

Myles Cale

• 149 career steals (1.0 spg) edited

 

[Bud Boomer]

I couldn’t find stats going back 25 years, but this would be my list covering the last 15 years.

1. Fuquan Edwin
DRTG: 94.3
DBPM: 4.3
DREB%: 14.6%
STL%: 4.6%
BLK%: 1.5%

2. Kadary Richmond
DRTG: 95.9
DBPM: 4.3
DREB%: 16.7%
STL%: 4.0%
BLK%: 1.7%

3. Isaiah Whitehead
DRTG: 98.7
DBPM: 2.3
DREB%: 10.5%
STL%: 2.4%
BLK%: 3.7%

4. Derrick Gordon
DRTG: 98.3
DBPM: 2.7
DREB%: 9.4%
STL%: 2.5%
BLK%: 1.0%

5. Quincy McKnight
DRTG: 100.6
DBPM: 2.7
DREB%: 9.5%
STL%: 2.8%
BLK%: 0.6%

 

[Seton75]

all of those guys defended. loved when a guard had a step on iw on a breakaway and he timed it so he was right behind they guy and swatted it away. a play like that vs wichita st in nwk comes to mind. he and khadeen - they could do it all.

quincy on ball, fu on the passing lanes.

gause wss so disruptive. gave a lot of south jersey hs pgs some sleepless nights

 

[Hall84]

This topic kind of came up in another thread. Figured it would be a fun topic to discuss.

I’ll give you my top 5 in no particular order. Have fun sharing your thoughts or alternative selections.

Isaiah Whitehead

• My personal pick for #1 if I had to rank them.
• In his second season 1.2 spg and 1.4 blocks per game. Think about that second stat as a guard.

Quincy McKnight

• 1.6 spg career average at the Hall
• Thought his extended ball pressure on the other team’s PG set the tone for a top 15 team in the country.

Fuquan Edwin

• All BE defensive player of the year 2013-14
• 295 career steals (#1 SHU history)
• 7th all time in career BE steals
• Led BE in steals 2 times
• Led nation in steal with 102 in 2011-12
• Top 15 in BE defensive rebounding 2 times

Paul Gause

• 256 career steals
• 3rd best in program history
• Led BE in steals twice
• This guy can be in my Foxhole anytime

Derrick Gordon

• His numbers don’t jump off the page for his one season as SHU (1 steal per game)
• But those who know, remember that Gordon regardless of his offensive limitations, was always on the court down the stretch for that team. He and Whitehead were a lethal combo shutting down opposing guards as that team hits its stride late in the season.

Honorable Mention:
Jordan Theodore

• High energy defender off the bench early in his career
• Averaged 1.4 spg over his career
• Finished top 8 the BE in steals per game twice.
• Averaged a personal best 1.8 steals per game his senior season while being asked to shoulder a huge load of minutes and offensive usage rate.

Myles Cale

• 125 career steals (1.5 spg)

Surprised that Kadary didn't even make your honorable mention.

 

[chickenbox]

Do frontcourt next!

 

[LeftCoastPirates]

Surprised that Kadary didn't even make your honorable mention.

No recency bias for me. The guys on my list all “got after it” on D. When I played sports I was always on the smaller side compared to my peers. I took pride in playing hard nose defense just to earn a spot on the court.

So although I believe Kadary was a good defender, to me all the guys on my list are extra special because of the effort and desire in which they played on that side of the ball.

 

[Bud Boomer]

Do frontcourt next!

Last 15 years for me. Fifth spot is a toss-up between Pope and Delgado.

1. Romaro Gil
DRTG: 94.2
DBPM: 5.1
DREB%: 17.3%
STL%: 0.8%
BLK%: 13.3%

2. Ish Sanogo
DRTG: 96.5
DBPM: 4.6
DREB%: 17.5%
STL%: 2.6%
BLK%: 4.0%

3. KC Ndefo
DRTG: 93.9
DBPM: 4.4
DREB%: 15.9%
STL%: 2.3%
BLK%: 8.2%

4. Ike Obiagu
DRTG: 98.2
DBPM: 4.9
DREB%: 11.6%
STL%: 0.3%
BLK%: 14.0%

5. Herb Pope
DRTG: 94.0
DBPM: 2.4
DREB%: 24.4%
STL%: 1.8%
BLK%: 5.6%

 

[dehere23]

I can see why Richmond doesn't excite as many for lists like this, because of his often passive persona on the court and how he can get beat off the dribble more than most traditional "lock down" defenders. He makes up for that with his size/length and hands that can be magnets to the ball in traffic (also as a help defender).

 

[MichiganStoleTitle]

You know the season is going poorly when this is what we’re resigned to talk about midway through…

 

[Mbrantfan88]

This topic kind of came up in another thread. Figured it would be a fun topic to discuss.

I’ll give you my top 5 in no particular order. Have fun sharing your thoughts or alternative selections.

Isaiah Whitehead

• My personal pick for #1 if I had to rank them.
• In his second season 1.2 spg and 1.4 blocks per game. Think about that second stat as a guard.

Quincy McKnight

• 1.6 spg career average at the Hall
• Thought his extended ball pressure on the other team’s PG set the tone for a top 15 team in the country.

Fuquan Edwin

• All BE defensive player of the year 2013-14
• 295 career steals (#1 SHU history)
• 7th all time in career BE steals
• Led BE in steals 2 times
• Led nation in steal with 102 in 2011-12
• Top 15 in BE defensive rebounding 2 times

Paul Gause

• 256 career steals
• 3rd best in program history
• Led BE in steals twice
• This guy can be in my Foxhole anytime

Derrick Gordon

• His numbers don’t jump off the page for his one season as SHU (1 steal per game)
• But those who know, remember that Gordon regardless of his offensive limitations, was always on the court down the stretch for that team. He and Whitehead were a lethal combo shutting down opposing guards as that team hits its stride late in the season.

Honorable Mention:
Jordan Theodore

• High energy defender off the bench early in his career
• Averaged 1.4 spg over his career
• Finished top 8 the BE in steals per game twice.
• Averaged a personal best 1.8 steals per game his senior season while being asked to shoulder a huge load of minutes and offensive usage rate.

Myles Cale

• 125 career steals (1.5 spg)

You back tracked Cales's numbers to only include his first 4 years which is fair.

Terry Dehere went for 152 in 4 years. I could have sworn he won some sort of defensive honor his frosh year (not DPOY obviously). Dehere was a really good defender.

 

[LeftCoastPirates]

You back tracked Cales's numbers to only include his first 4 years which is fair.

Terry Dehere went for 152 in 4 years. I could have sworn he won some sort of defensive honor his frosh year (not DPOY obviously). Dehere was a really good defender.

Sorry MarkBryantfan…looks the Seton Hall education let down yet another.

Terry didn’t play within the last 25 years.

 

[jack 1970]

This topic kind of came up in another thread. Figured it would be a fun topic to discuss.

I’ll give you my top 5 in no particular order. Have fun sharing your thoughts or alternative selections.

Isaiah Whitehead

• My personal pick for #1 if I had to rank them.
• In his second season 1.2 spg and 1.4 blocks per game. Think about that second stat as a guard.

Quincy McKnight

• 1.6 spg career average at the Hall
• Thought his extended ball pressure on the other team’s PG set the tone for a top 15 team in the country.

Fuquan Edwin

• All BE defensive player of the year 2013-14
• 295 career steals (#1 SHU history)
• 7th all time in career BE steals
• Led BE in steals 2 times
• Led nation in steal with 102 in 2011-12
• Top 15 in BE defensive rebounding 2 times

Paul Gause

• 256 career steals
• 3rd best in program history
• Led BE in steals twice
• This guy can be in my Foxhole anytime

Derrick Gordon

• His numbers don’t jump off the page for his one season as SHU (1 steal per game)
• But those who know, remember that Gordon regardless of his offensive limitations, was always on the court down the stretch for that team. He and Whitehead were a lethal combo shutting down opposing guards as that team hits its stride late in the season.

Honorable Mention:
Jordan Theodore

• High energy defender off the bench early in his career
• Averaged 1.4 spg over his career
• Finished top 8 the BE in steals per game twice.
• Averaged a personal best 1.8 steals per game his senior season while being asked to shoulder a huge load of minutes and offensive usage rate.

Myles Cale

• 149 career steals (1.0 spg) edited

Agree except for Whitehead.He was here only two years and I remember him for his offense not defense.When motivated he played good defense.

 

[CT Pirate]

I know I am 800 years old but I would nominate Nick Galis. Back in the 70's when broadcasting on WSOU a holiday tourney when the Hall was playing Tenn with Ernie and Bernie. I interviewed Raf and asked the question of how he was going to stop Ernie. His answer was classic ' "I'm going to put a Greek in his jock." Setonia hoops back in the day.

 

[radecicco]

I know I am 800 years old but I would nominate Nick Galis. Back in the 70's when broadcasting on WSOU a holiday tourney when the Hall was playing Tenn with Ernie and Bernie. I interviewed Raf and asked the question of how he was going to stop Ernie. His answer was classic ' "I'm going to put a Greek in his jock." Setonia hoops back in the day.

I remember listening to that game on WSOU when I was as living in Union. My wife was thrilled.

 

[Mbrantfan88]

Sorry MarkBryantfan…looks the Seton Hall education let down yet another.

Terry didn’t play within the last 25 years.

RIF!

Totally missed the 25 years portion!