McKnight Named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Team

ATLANTA - Senior Quincy McKnight (Bridgeport, Conn.) of the Seton Hall men's basketball team has been named to the 2020 Midseason Team for Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Wednesday morning. McKnight is one of only 15 student-athletes on the list and one of only two from the BIG EAST Conference.

Now in its third year, the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year is presented annually to the most outstanding men's defensive basketball player who achieves tremendous on-court success.

McKnight is one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the country, consistently guarding opposing teams' best scorers and holding them to shooting percentages under their season average. McKnight's best work this season was in a starring role for the Pirates against No. 7 Maryland on Dec. 19, 2019. With top scorers Myles Powell and Sandro Mamukelashvili injured, McKnight guided his team to one of the best defensive efforts in all of college basketball, holding the high-scoring Terrapins to just 18 points in the first half, only 48 points total and 26.9 percent shooting in a 52-48 victory. McKnight guarded Maryland All-America candidate Anthony Cowan most of the night and held him to 3-for-14 shooting. McKnight also had 17 points and six assists in the win.

Finalists for the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year Award will be named in mid-March, and the winner will be named at the 2020 Final Four in Atlanta.

2020 Midseason Team for Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year

FIRST NAME	LAST NAME	CLASS	POS	SCHOOL	CONFERENCE
Tyler	Bey	Jr.	G/F	Colorado	Pac-12
Mamadi	Diakite	Sr.	F	Virginia	ACC
Marcus	Garrett	Jr.	G	Kansas	Big 12
Jacob	Gilyard	Jr.	G	Richmond	Atlantic 10
Ashton	Hagans	So.	G	Kentucky	SEC
Tre	Jones	So.	G	Duke	ACC
Kylor	Kelley	Sr.	F	Oregon State	Pac-12
Quincy	McKnight	Sr.	G	Seton Hall	BIG EAST
Davion	Mitchell	So.	G	Baylor	Big 12
Fatts	Russell	Jr.	G	Rhode Island	Atlantic 10
Zavier	Simpson	Sr.	G	Michigan	Big Ten
Aaron	Thompson	Jr.	G	Butler	BIG EAST
Devin	Vassell	So.	G	Florida State	ACC
Mark	Vital	Jr.	G/F	Baylor	Big 12
Mike	Watkins	Sr.	F	Penn State	Big Ten