Steals leaders
In basketball, a steal is the act of legally gaining possession of the ball by a defensive player who causes the opponent to turn the ball over. [1] The National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I steal title is awarded to the player with the highest steals per game average in a given season. The steal title was first recognized in the 1985–86 season when statistics on steals were first compiled by the NCAA. [2]
Desmond Cambridge of Alabama A&M holds the all-time NCAA Division I records for single-season steals (160) and steals per game (5.52), which both occurred during the 2001–02 season. The all-time leader in career steals is Richmond's Jacob Gilyard (466), who benefited from the NCAA's blanket COVID-19 eligibility waiver which allowed all student-athletes who were active in 2020–21 to play a full additional season without penalty. [3]
In 2011–12, two 'firsts' occurred: Jay Threatt of Delaware State became the first ever repeat season steals leader, and there was also a tie for the honor (Fuquan Edwin of Seton Hall tied Threatt with a 3.00 steals per game average). When Chavis Holmes of Virginia Military Institute (VMI) secured his national steals title in 2008–09 at 3.39 spg, he and his brother Travis became the first pair of siblings in NCAA basketball history to lead the nation in the same statistical category. Travis had led the country with a 3.36 spg average in 2006–07. Only two schools have had two different players win the steals title: Alabama A&M (2002, 2005) and VMI (2007, 2009). The lowest steals total for a national per game leader is 78, and the lowest steals per game average to win is 2.83, both of which were achieved by Threatt. [4] [5]
Three freshmen have led the nation in steals: Jason Kidd (1993), Joel Hoover (1997), and Devin Gibson (2008). [2] [6] [7] Among them, Kidd tallied the highest steals per game average (3.79) and the most total steals (110). He would also go on to lead the NCAA in assists the following season as a sophomore. [8]
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Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards and passers of all time, Kidd was a 10-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team member, and a nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. He won an NBA championship in 2011 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks and was a two-time gold medal winner in the Olympics with the U.S. national team in 2000 and 2008. He was inducted as a player into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In October 2021, Kidd was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Tarvis Devar Williams is an American former professional basketball player. He is best known, however, for making the game-winning shot with 6.9 seconds left that propelled 15th-seeded Hampton past 2nd-seeded Iowa State, 58–57, in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. It was only the fourth time since 1985 that a #15 defeated a #2 seed. Williams was also a two-time NCAA season blocks champion in 1998–99 and 2000–01.
Obadiah Nelson "Obie" Trotter is an American-Hungarian professional basketball player for HLA Alicante of the Spanish LEB Oro. He is 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), and plays the point guard position. He received Hungarian citizenship on June 20, 2011, and played for Hungary in the unsuccessful Eurobasket 2011 qualification campaign, averaging 11 points and four rebounds per match.
Jeremy Bishop is an American basketball player who is best known for leading NCAA Division I in rebounding in 2001–02. While playing for Quinnipiac, Bishop averaged 12.0 rebounds per game as a junior to claim the rebounding title. Prior to playing at Quinnipiac he had played at Champlain College. Bishop played the forward position. He stands 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall and weighs 225 pounds.
Van Usher is an American former basketball player. He played college basketball for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles from 1989 to 1992. A 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) point guard, he holds school and Ohio Valley Conference records for single game, season, and career assist and steal totals. In 1990–91, he led NCAA Division I in steals with a 3.71 per game average. He had recorded 104 steals in 28 games en route to being named an OVC Second Team honoree. The following year as a senior, he led Division I in assists while averaging 8.76 per game. In 29 games, he accumulated 254 total assists as he earned an OVC First Team honor. He is one of two college basketball players to lead the country in both steals and assists. After college, he signed with the Rochester Renegade of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) but was placed on the injured reserve list before the start of his stint.
Jay L. Threatt is an American professional basketball player for FC Porto in the Portuguese Basketball League. He played for the Delaware State Hornets for three seasons and twice led the NCAA in steals. He was the first ever Division I player to hold at least a share of the steals title in more than one season.
Brian Merriweather is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for Basket Rimini in Italy, but he is best known for his collegiate career at the University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) between 1998–99 and 2000–01.
John Richard "Jack" Leasure is an American former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career playing in the New Zealand National Basketball League for the Taranaki Mountainairs. He is best known for his collegiate career at Coastal Carolina University in which he was named the 2006 Big South Conference Player of the Year and finished with 411 made three-point field goals, which was the fifth-highest NCAA Division I total at the time of his graduation in 2008. He is currently the head basketball coach at McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, New York.
Fuquan Edwin is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Seton Hall Pirates, where in 2011–12, he tied with Jay Threatt for the highest steals per game average (3.0) in NCAA Division I competition.
Jacob Gilyard is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Richmond Spiders. Gilyard is the all-time NCAA career steals leader, breaking the previous record of 385 on December 5, 2021, and finishing his career with 466 steals.
The Creighton Bluejays basketball statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Creighton Bluejays basketball program in various categories, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Bluejays represent Creighton University in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference.
Damon Anthony Lopez is an American former basketball player known for his collegiate career at Fordham University between 1988 and 1991, where he was the Patriot League's first-ever player of the year in 1991. He also had a professional basketball career for eight years following college. Lopez played the center position and set a number of Fordham records for blocks. In 2015 he was selected to the Patriot League Men's Basketball 25th Anniversary Team.
Kenny Robertson is an American former basketball player, known for his collegiate career at Cleveland State University in the late 1980s. From 1986 to 1990, Robertson set his mark as one of NCAA Division I men's basketball all-time steals leaders. Through 2020–21 he remains #15 all-time in Division I career steals with 341. He was the country's steals per game leader as a junior in 1988–89 with 3.96 per game, and he set Summit League single game (12) and career steals totals.