Horizon League Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

24. Vashil Fernandez

Originally seen as just a frontcourt project, Fernandez is a 6’10 center from Jamaica who was recruited to Valparaiso by Bryce Drew, spending five seasons in Drew’s program. Fernandez wasn’t exactly known for his offensive prowess but was an important defensive player late in his career and helped those Crusaders to a ton of success as a program.

He got into the starting lineup in his sophomore season, though he actually played in the Big Dance as a freshman. Fernandez averaged 6.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game in his junior year and would earn a second trip to the NCAA Tournament. Senior year didn’t feature flashy stats, but Fernandez continued to be a menace in the paint and helped lead Valparaiso the NIT finals and a 30-win season, averaging 3.3 blocks per game.

Fernandez was named Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year in both of his final seasons, leading the league in blocks and becoming one of the nation’s most prominent rim defenders. He actually led the entire nation with his 119 blocks as a senior and had some of the best defensive metrics in the country. Fernandez’s offense game was certainly lacking, but his standout defensive play was a massive part of Valparaiso’s success in the mid-2010’s.