List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leaders

In basketball, a block (short for blocked shot) occurs when a defender deflects or stops a field goal attempt without committing a foul.[1] The National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I block title is awarded to the player with the highest blocks per game average in a given season. The block title was first recognized in the 1985–86 season when statistics on blocks were first compiled by the NCAA.[2]

David Robinson recorded 207 blocks in 1985–86, the most for a single season in NCAA history.

David Robinson of Navy holds the all-time NCAA Division I record single-season blocks record (207) which was set during 1985–86, coincidentally the first season that the NCAA kept track of blocked shots.[2][3] Although Robinson holds the single-season record, it is Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi State who claims the all-time career blocked shots record (564).[4] The highest single-season blocks per game (bpg) record is held by Northeastern's Shawn James, who averaged 6.53 blocks in 2005–06.[5]

Four players have been two-time NCAA blocks leaders: David Robinson (1986, 1987), Keith Closs (1995, 1996), Tarvis Williams (1999, 2001) and Jarvis Varnado (2008, 2009). Additionally, six freshmen have led Division I in blocks: Alonzo Mourning (1989), Shawn Bradley (1991), Keith Closs (1995), Hassan Whiteside (2010), Anthony Davis (2012), and Chris Obekpa (2013). Among all-time NCAA blocks leaders, only Robinson, Mourning, and Shaquille O'Neal are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[6]

Keith Closs, the blocks leader in 1995 and 1996, only played college basketball for two seasons.[7] He left the NCAA after only two years to pursue a career in professional basketball, thereby foregoing his final two seasons of eligibility under NCAA by-laws. Had he decided to stay at Central Connecticut, Closs could have potentially become the first player to lead Division I in blocks for not only three years, but possibly all four.

No guards have been the NCAA blocks leaders. Guards are typically shorter and play farther away from the basket, making it more difficult for them to block shots.

Nine players on this list were born outside the United States—Shawn Bradley in Germany (West Germany at the time of his birth), Adonal Foyle in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Wojciech Myrda in Poland, Deng Gai in what is now South Sudan (part of Sudan at the time of his birth), Chris Obekpa in Nigeria, Jordan Bachynski in Canada, Vashil Fernandez in Jamaica, Liam Thomas in Australia, and Ajdin Penava in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Key

Blocks leaders
Alonzo Mourning was the first freshman to win the shot blocking title.
Adonal Foyle led the NCAA as a junior in 1997.
Jarvis Varnado led the NCAA in 2008 and 2009.
Anthony Davis led the country in 2012 en route to national Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Season Player Pos. Cl. Team Games
played		 Blocks BPG Ref.
1985–86 David Robinson* C Jr Navy 35 207 5.91 [3]
1986–87 David Robinson* (2) C Sr Navy 32 144 4.50 [3]
1987–88 Rodney Blake C Sr Saint Joseph's 29 116 4.00 [8]
1988–89 Alonzo Mourning* C Fr Georgetown 34 169 4.97 [9]
1989–90 Kenny Green F Sr Rhode Island 26 124 4.77 [10]
1990–91 Shawn Bradley C Fr BYU 34 177 5.21 [11]
1991–92 Shaquille O'Neal* C Jr LSU 30 157 5.23 [12]
1992–93 Theo Ratliff C/F So Wyoming 28 124 4.43 [13]
1993–94 Grady Livingston C Jr Howard 26 115 4.42 [14]
1994–95 Keith Closs C Fr Central Connecticut 26 139 5.35 [15]
1995–96 Keith Closs (2) C So Central Connecticut 28 178 6.36 [15]
1996–97 Adonal Foyle C Jr Colgate 28 180 6.43 [16]
1997–98 Jerome James C Sr Florida A&M 27 125 4.63 [17]
1998–99 Tarvis Williams C/F So Hampton 27 135 5.00 [18]
1999–00 Ken Johnson C Jr Ohio State 30 161 5.37 [19]
2000–01 Tarvis Williams (2) C/F Sr Hampton 32 147 4.59 [18]
2001–02 Wojciech Myrda C Sr Louisiana–Monroe 32 172 5.38 [20]
2002–03 Emeka Okafor C So Connecticut 33 156 4.73 [21]
2003–04 Anwar Ferguson C Sr Houston 27 111 4.11 [22]
2004–05 Deng Gai F Sr Fairfield 30 165 5.50 [23]
2005–06 Shawn James F So Northeastern 30 196 6.53 [24]
2006–07 Mickell Gladness C Jr Alabama A&M 30 188 6.27 [25]
2007–08 Jarvis Varnado F/C So Mississippi State 34 157 4.62 [26]
2008–09 Jarvis Varnado (2) F/C Jr Mississippi State 36 170 4.72 [26]
2009–10 Hassan Whiteside F/C Fr Marshall 34 182 5.35 [27]
2010–11 William Mosley C Jr Northwestern State 32 156 4.88 [28]
2011–12 Anthony Davis C Fr Kentucky 40 186 4.65 [29]
2012–13 Chris Obekpa C Fr St. John's 33 133 4.03 [30]
2013–14 Jordan Bachynski C Sr Arizona State 33 133 4.03 [31]
2014–15 Jordan Mickey F So LSU 31 112 3.61 [32]
2015–16 Vashil Fernandez C Sr Valparaiso 36 119 3.31 [33]
2016–17 Liam Thomas C Sr Nicholls State 31 130 4.19 [34]
2017–18 Ajdin Penava F Jr Marshall 34 134 3.94 [35]
2018–19 Brandon Gilbeck C Sr Western Illinois 31 106 3.42 [36]
2019–20 Osasumwen Osaghae F Sr FIU 32 119 3.71 [37]

References
General
  • "2020–21 NCAA Men's Basketball Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
Specific
  1. "Basketball glossary". FIBA.com. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  2. "2009–10 NCAA Men's Basketball Records" (PDF). 2009–10 NCAA Men's Basketball Media Guide. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  3. "David Robinson". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  4. Gardner, Tim (February 25, 2010). "Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado blocks his way into NCAA record books". USA Today. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  5. "Shawn James Draft 2008 Profile". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  6. "David Robinson (enshrined 2009)". HoopHall.com. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  7. "NBA Development League Player Profile: Keith Closs" (PDF). NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 17, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  8. "Saint Joseph's Athletics Hall of Fame". SJUHawks.com. Saint Joseph's University. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  9. "Alonzo Mourning". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  10. "10 To Be Enshrined in URI Athletic Hall of Fame". University of Rhode Island. September 7, 2000. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  11. "Shawn Bradley". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  12. "Shaquille O'Neal". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  13. "Theo Ratliff". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  14. "NCAA Men's Basketball Annual Leaders". HickokSports.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  15. "Keith Closs profile". DeltaJammersPlay2Win.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  16. "Adonal Foyle". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  17. "Jerome James". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  18. "NBA Draft 2001 Prospect: Tarvis Williams". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  19. "Ken Johnson". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  20. "Wojciech Myrda stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  21. "Emeka Okafor". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  22. "Anwar Ferguson stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  23. "Deng Gai". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  24. "Shawn James stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  25. "Mickell Gladness stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  26. "Jarvis Varnado stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  27. "Hassan Whiteside stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  28. "William Mosley stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  29. "Anthony Davis stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  30. "Chris Obekpa stats". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  31. "Jordan Bachynski stats". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  32. "Jordan Mickey stats". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  33. "Vashil Fernandez stats". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  34. "Liam Thomas stats". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  35. "Ajdin Penava stats". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  36. "Brandon Gilbeck stats". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  37. "Osasumwen Osaghae stats". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
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