Northwestern University Athletics
Audige Named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
1/26/2023 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
ATLANTA – Northwestern senior guard Chase Audige was one of 15 student-athletes named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Thursday.
The senior guard leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally in steals per game (2.71). His130 steals in a Northwestern uniform rank eighth in school history, 11 behind Craig Moore.
Audige's 51 steals are the most in a single-season by a Wildcat since Jeremy Nash totaled 58 thefts in the 2009-10 season. In Northwestern's 84-83 win over No. 15 Indiana, Audige tallied six steals, the most in a single game since Jeremy Nash recorded seven against Chicago State on February 4, 2009.
During his NU career, Audige has recorded four games totaling five steals or more, the most by any Northwestern player since at least 2010-11.
Audige has been a key cog in Northwestern's lockdown defensive unit this season. The Wildcats rank first nationally in 2-point field goal defense (41.7%), 12th nationally and second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (38.6%), and 15th nationally and third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (60.9). The Wildcats defense currently ranks 19th nationally in defensive efficiency per KenPom.
The watch list will shrink to 10 national semifinalists on February 28 and four finalists on March 14. The winner will be announced on April 2.
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
The senior guard leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally in steals per game (2.71). His130 steals in a Northwestern uniform rank eighth in school history, 11 behind Craig Moore.
Audige's 51 steals are the most in a single-season by a Wildcat since Jeremy Nash totaled 58 thefts in the 2009-10 season. In Northwestern's 84-83 win over No. 15 Indiana, Audige tallied six steals, the most in a single game since Jeremy Nash recorded seven against Chicago State on February 4, 2009.
During his NU career, Audige has recorded four games totaling five steals or more, the most by any Northwestern player since at least 2010-11.
Audige has been a key cog in Northwestern's lockdown defensive unit this season. The Wildcats rank first nationally in 2-point field goal defense (41.7%), 12th nationally and second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (38.6%), and 15th nationally and third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (60.9). The Wildcats defense currently ranks 19th nationally in defensive efficiency per KenPom.
The watch list will shrink to 10 national semifinalists on February 28 and four finalists on March 14. The winner will be announced on April 2.
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
| NAME | CLASS | POS | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Audige | Senior | G | Northwestern |
| Leaky Black | Grad Student | F | North Carolina |
| Moussa Cisse | Junior | F | Oklahoma State |
| Jaylen Clark | Junior | G | UCLA |
| Zach Edey | Junior | C | Purdue |
| Andre Jackson Jr. | Junior | G | UConn |
| Trayce Jackson-Davis | Senior | F | Indiana |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner | Junior | C | Creighton |
| Caleb McConnell | Fifth Year | G | Rutgers |
| Kevin McCullar Jr. | Senior | G | Kansas |
| Shakeel Moore | Junior | G | Mississippi State |
| Marcus Sasser | Senior | G | Houston |
| Jamarion Sharp | Junior | C | Western Kentucky |
| Oscar Tshiebwe | Senior | F | Kentucky |
| Zakai Zeigler | Sophomore | G | Tennessee |
Players Mentioned
G
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