Chinyelu Named Preseason DPOY; All-Defensive Teams Set — SkimNews
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- CBS Sports named Rueben Chinyelu the 2026-27 preseason Defensive Player of the Year; the reigning national DPOY anchors a Florida defense that improved by 10.5 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, where opponents shot 43.5% on twos, the sport's best mark.
- Killyan Toure earned first-team honors while recovering from preseason shoulder surgery; Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger called him relentless and said he can "break your spirit," with Toure drawing the toughest perimeter assignment each night.
- Ivan Kharchenkov made the first team while carrying a bigger offensive load, using his 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame to navigate screens in Arizona's drop coverage and emergency-switch onto bigs.
- Dame Sarr earned first-team honors after opponents shot just 31% when he was the contesting defender; Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he can handle nearly any perimeter assignment.
- JoJo Tugler made the first team after Houston posted the No. 1 defense in college basketball across 1,382 possessions with him on the floor, holding opponents to a 0.87 offensive rating; Kelvin Sampson said he would not trade him for another player in the country.
- Jordan Smith Jr. made the second team before playing a college game, earning respect in coaching circles with his energy and 6-9 wingspan; Arkansas' point-of-attack defense was "Swiss cheese" last year.
- Miles Byrd made the second team after recording a 6% block percentage and 4% steal rate—the only player in college basketball to post both—and logging a steal or block in 60 of his last 62 games.
Why it matters: Florida has a measurable defensive anchor in Rueben Chinyelu: with him on the floor, its defense improves by 10.5 points per 100 possessions, while opponents shoot 43.5% on twos. His high-major-leading defensive rebounding also ends possessions and fuels transition attack, tying a specific defensive edge to Florida's offense.
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