ATLANTA – Kansas senior Marcus Garrett has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2021 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tip-Off Club announced Thursday. Garrett won the national honor last season as a junior in 2020.

Known to guard KU’s opponent’s best player, Garrett is fifth in the Big 12 in steals at 1.5, seventh in in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.73) and 11th in assists (3.7) per game. The Dallas guard averages 10.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per outing and has 12 steals in his last five games. In conference play Garrett’s numbers are better averaging 10.3 points, 4.5 boards and 1.6 steals per contest.

Garrett was the 2020 Naismith, ESPN and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and is a two-time member of the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. He ranks 14th on the Kansas career steals list at 171 and is 10 thefts from the top 10. He has 333 career assists and is nine dimes from the KU top 20. Garrett has 904 career points while at Kansas.

The Atlanta Tipoff Club will announce the four finalists for the Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year on March 12. The award is voted on by a national panel of media with the final announcement being made Final Four weekend.

Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year 2021 Semifinalists

Name, School (Class, Position)

Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky (Jr., C)

Kihei Clark, Virginia (Jr., G)

MARCUS GARRETT, KANSAS (Sr., G)

Jacob Gilyard, Richmond (Sr., G)

Herb Jones, Alabama (Sr., F/G)

Davion Mitchell, Baylor (Jr., G)

Evan Mobley, USC (Fr., F)

Yves Pons, Tennessee (Sr., G/F)

Neemias Queta, Utah State (Jr., C)

Mark Vital, Baylor (Sr., F/G)