# Big East Conference Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year

The Big East Conference Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year award is given to the men's basketball player in the Big East Conference voted as the top defender by the conference coaches. It was first awarded at the end of the 1981–82 season.

## Key

| † | Co-Defensive Players of the Year |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award at that point |

## Winners

| Season | Player | School | Position | Class |
| 1981–82 | Patrick Ewing | Georgetown | C | Freshman |
| 1982–83 | Patrick Ewing (2×) | Georgetown | C | Sophomore |
| 1983–84 | Patrick Ewing (3×) | Georgetown | C | Junior |
| 1984–85 | Patrick Ewing (4×) | Georgetown | C | Senior |
| 1985–86 | Harold Pressley | Villanova | SF | Senior |
| 1986–87 | Mark Jackson | St. John's | PG | Senior |
| 1987–88 | Gary Massey | Villanova | G/F | Junior |
| 1988–89 | Alonzo Mourning | Georgetown | C | Freshman |
| 1989–90$^†$ | Alonzo Mourning (2×) | Georgetown | C | Sophomore |
| Dikembe Mutombo | Georgetown | C | Sophomore |
| 1990–91 | Dikembe Mutombo (2×) | Georgetown | C | Junior |
| 1991–92 | Alonzo Mourning (3×) | Georgetown | C | Senior |
| 1992–93 | Jerry Walker | Seton Hall | F | Senior |
| 1993–94 | Donyell Marshall | UConn | F | Junior |
| 1994–95 | Allen Iverson | Georgetown | G | Freshman |
| 1995–96 | Allen Iverson (2×) | Georgetown | G | Sophomore |
| 1996–97 | Jason Lawson | Villanova | C | Senior |
| 1997–98 | Damian Owens | West Virginia | SF | Senior |
| 1998–99 | Etan Thomas | Syracuse | F/C | Junior |
| 1999–00 | Etan Thomas (2×) | Syracuse | F/C | Senior |
| 2000–01 | John Linehan | Providence | PG | Junior |
| 2001–02 | John Linehan (2×) | Providence | PG | Senior |
| 2002–03 | Emeka Okafor | UConn | C | Sophomore |
| 2003–04 | Emeka Okafor (2×) | UConn | C | Junior |
| 2004–05 | Josh Boone | UConn | C | Sophomore |
| 2005–06 | Hilton Armstrong | UConn | C | Senior |
| 2006–07 | Jerel McNeal | Marquette | SG | Sophomore |
| 2007–08 | Hasheem Thabeet | UConn | C | Sophomore |
| 2008–09 | Hasheem Thabeet (2×) | UConn | C | Junior |
| 2009–10 | Hamady N'Diaye | Rutgers | C | Senior |
| 2010–11 | Rick Jackson | Syracuse | F/C | Senior |
| 2011–12 | Fab Melo | Syracuse | C | Sophomore |
| 2012–13 | Gorgui Dieng | Louisville | C | Junior |
| 2013–14 | Fuquan Edwin | Seton Hall | G/F | Senior |
| 2014–15$^†$ | Kris Dunn | Providence | PG | Junior |
| Sir'Dominic Pointer | St. John's | SG | Senior |
| 2015–16 | Kris Dunn (2×) | Providence | PG | Senior |
| 2016–17$^†$ | Mikal Bridges | Villanova | G/F | Sophomore |
| Josh Hart | Villanova | SG | Senior |
| Khyri Thomas | Creighton | SG | Sophomore |
| 2017–18 | Khyri Thomas (2×) | Creighton | SG | Junior |
| 2018–19 | Justin Simon | St. John's | SG | Senior |
| 2019–20 | Romaro Gill | Seton Hall | C | Senior |
| 2020–21$^†$ | Isaiah Whaley | UConn | F/C | Senior |
| Posh Alexander | St. John's | PG | Freshman |
| 2021–22 | Ryan Kalkbrenner | Creighton | C | Sophomore |
| 2022–23 | Ryan Kalkbrenner (2×) | Creighton | C | Junior |
| 2023–24 | Ryan Kalkbrenner (3×) | Creighton | C | Senior |
| 2024–25 | Ryan Kalkbrenner (4×) | Creighton | C | Senior |

## Winners by school

| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
| Georgetown (1979) | 11 | 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990 (2×)$^†$, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 |
| UConn (1979/2020) | 8 | 1994, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2021 |
| Creighton (2013) | 6 | 2017$^†$, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Villanova (1980) | 5 | 1986, 1988, 1997, 2017 (2×)$^†$ |
| Providence (1979) | 4 | 2001, 2002, 2015$^†$, 2016 |
| St. John's (1979) | 4 | 1987, 1985$^†$, 2019, 2021 |
| Syracuse (1979) | 4 | 1999, 2000, 2011, 2012 |
| Seton Hall (1979) | 3 | 1993, 2014, 2020 |
| Louisville (2005) | 1 | 2013 |
| Marquette (2005) | 1 | 2007 |
| Rutgers (1995) | 1 | 2010 |
| West Virginia (1995) | 1 | 1998 |