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NCAA Basketball: 5 most watchable defenses for 2019-20 season

By Max Hastings

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers reacts in the first half during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal against the Virginia Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers reacts in the first half during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal against the Virginia Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 17: Bryce Brown #2 of the Auburn Tigers and head coach Bruce Pearl celebrate after the 84-64 win against the Tennessee Volunteers during the final of the SEC Basketball Championships at Bridgestone Arena on March 17, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 17: Bryce Brown #2 of the Auburn Tigers and head coach Bruce Pearl celebrate after the 84-64 win against the Tennessee Volunteers during the final of the SEC Basketball Championships at Bridgestone Arena on March 17, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

No. 2 – Auburn

Although Bruce Pearl was once again in the center of controversy this offseason, that shouldn’t undermine what he’s done in his short tenure with the War Eagles. In just five years, Pearl took a program that hadn’t earned an NCAA Tournament bid since 2003 and turned them into an SEC juggernaut, leading his squad to their first Final Four in program history last season.

And he did it while producing some of the most all-around watchable basketball in the nation, especially on defense. While they finished 17th in offensive Watchability, Pearl’s defense finished as the second most watchable in the nation, including first in steal percentage and overall turnovers created. Drawing from two of the best defensive minds of all time, Dick Bennet and Bob Huggins, Pearl created a full-court zone press defense wreaked havoc on opposing offenses all year, making Division 1 athletes look like they were back in middle school CYO.

While this upcoming season will no doubt be overshadowed by looming recruiting allegations and the loss of their three best players from last season, Auburn will still be one of the older teams in the nation, with five seniors who should play significant minutes–keep an eye on the lengthy frontcourt trio of Anfernee McLemore, Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy. With those three, Auburn’s defense should be as tenacious as ever and should once again rank amongst the most watchable defenses in the NCAA.

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