Washington senior guard Matisse Thybulle was named the men's 2019 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year on Sunday, presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
It’s official…..The 2019 @bonabuzz Naismith Women’s + Men’s Defensive Player of the Year are @KristineAnigwe + @MatisseThybulle. They are the first @CalWBBall + @UW_MBB players to win the award. Full release > https://t.co/7vLUOBJZtc #GoBears #GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/DZmPIjqEEO
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) April 7, 2019
Thybulle is the second winner of the award, which was introduced in 2018. He follows West Virginia's Jevon Carter, who won the inaugural award last season.
The 6-5, 195-pound guard notched a nation-high 126 steals and 3.5 steals per game to go with 2.3 blocks per game. He was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year and is the only player over the past two decades to finish a single season with more than 100 steals and 70 blocks.
On the offensive end, Thybulle chipped in 9.1 points per game, which ranked fourth most on the Huskies.
Thybulle was one of four finalists for the 2019 award. Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), De'Andre Hunter (Virginia) and Zion Williamson (Duke) were also up for consideration.
