Gonzaga Bulldogs junior forward Brandon Clarke is one of 15 players named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List. The award, which as the title states, goes to the best defender in college hoops. It was created in 2018, with Jevon Carter of West Virginia winning the first award.
Clarke is one of the premier rim protectors in all of college basketball. He is third in total blocks (61), tied for fifth in blocks per game (3.1), and 10th in block percentage (11.2). He is fourth in the NCAA in defensive box plus/minus (9.