Rueben Chinyelu among Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalists

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu has been named one of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Friday. Flory Bidunga of Kansas, St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor and Houston’s Joseph Tugler are the others.

Behind Chinyelu, the Gators were sixth nationally in defensive efficiency and eighth in two-point field goal percentage defense this season. He has already been named the Field of 68 Defensive Player of the Year and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Chinyelu averaged a double-double with 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds. He set the single-season school record for double-doubles (19) and offensive rebounds (137). His 393 total rebounds this season ranks No. 3 in program history behind Neal Walk.

Chinyelu’s 11.2 rebounding average ranked fourth nationally, and he’s the first Gator in 50 years to average double-figure rebounds. He posted three 20-rebound games this season, the only Gator this century to hit the 20-board mark in a game.

In addition to his Defensive Player of the Year honors, Chinyelu earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was also named a member of the All-SEC first team, SEC All-Defensive Team and the SEC Community Service Team.

The award winner will be announced April 5 at the Naismith Awards Brunch during the Men’s Final Four at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis.

Fans will have a say in determining the winner through a fan vote. Starting March 27, fans can visit www.naismithfanvote.com to cast their ballot. Voting ends at 12 p.m. ET on April 1, and fans are limited to one vote per day. Fans will account for 5% of the total vote.

The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, composed of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners, and conference commissioners, all of whom based their selections on outstanding on-court performances during the 2025-26 college basketball season.

Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Finalists

Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s
Joseph Tugler, Houston

Rueben Chinyelu 2026 accolades

Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist
Defensive Player of the Year (Field of 68)
All-America honorable mention (AP)
SEC Defensive Player of the Year (SEC)
SEC Defensive Player of the Year (USA Today)
SEC All-Defensive Team
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year
First-team All-SEC honors (AP)
First-team All-SEC honors (USA Today)
Second-team All-SEC honors (SEC)
First-team All-District (NABC Southeast)