List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season steals leaders explained

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]

Key

Pos.GFCSPGRef.
PositionGuardForwardCenterSteals per gameReferences
^Player still active in NCAA Division I
†Denotes a tie for the season's steals leader
Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Player (X)Denotes the number of times the player had been the
steals leader up to and including that season
C

Steals leaders

SeasonPlayerPos.Cl.TeamGames
played		StealsSPGRef.
1985–86GChicago State281394.96[9]
1986–87GCharleston Southern281144.07
1987–88GFlorida A&M291424.90
1988–89GCleveland State281113.96[10]
1989–90GEastern Washington291304.48
1990–91GTennessee Tech281043.71
1991–92GNortheastern Illinois25863.44[11]
1992–93GCalifornia291103.79
1993–94GSouthwestern Louisiana301204.00[12]
1994–95GTexas301013.37[13]
1995–96GMcNeese State271184.37[14]
1996–97GMaryland–Eastern Shore28903.21
1997–98G/FBall State291033.55[15]
1998–99GGeorge Washington291033.55[16]
1999–00GLiberty281073.82
2000–01GTCU251084.32
2001–02GAlabama A&M291605.52
2002–03GStetson22873.95
2003–04GSt. Bonaventure271073.96
2004–05GAlabama A&M321253.91
2005–06GEast Tennessee State28953.39
2006–07GVMI331113.36
2007–08GUTSA28933.32
2008–09GVMI311053.39
2009–10GDelaware State29822.83[17]
2010–11GNiagara29983.38[18]
2011–12†G/FSeton Hall341023.00
(2)GDelaware State26783.00
2012–13GOakland331003.03[19]
2013–14GVCU351213.46[20]
2014–15GEastern Kentucky32993.09[21]
2015–16GOmaha321273.97[22]
2016–17GTexas A&M–Corpus Christi361243.44[23]
2017–18GFordham29973.34[24]
2018–19GWashington361263.50[25]
2019–20GRichmond31983.16[26]
2020–21 (2)GRichmond23823.57
2021–22^GCoppin State32942.94[27]
2022–23^GMaine30983.27[28]
2023–24^GFIU311043.35[29]

References

General
Specific

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Basketball glossary. https://web.archive.org/web/20100516175956/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/baskBasi/glos.asp. dead. May 16, 2010. FIBA.com. May 24, 2010.
  2. Web site: 2009–10 NCAA Men's Basketball Records . 2009–10 NCAA Men's Basketball Media Guide . . 2009 . May 29, 2010.
  3. News: O'Connor . John . March 28, 2021 . It turned out to be an easy decision. Jacob Gilyard will return for fifth year as a Spider . . . April 14, 2021.
  4. Web site: Fuquan Edwin Stats . ESPN Internet Ventures . 2012 . March 18, 2012.
  5. Web site: Jay Threatt Stats . ESPN Internet Ventures . 2012 . March 18, 2012.
  6. Web site: Jason Kidd . basketball-reference . Sports Reference LLC . May 29, 2010.
  7. Web site: NCAA Div I 2007–08 Leaders . sports-reference.com . . 2008 . August 20, 2013.
  8. Web site: jockbio.com . 2008 . Jason Kidd Biography . Black Book Partners, LLC . May 29, 2010.
  9. Web site: NCAA – Basketball (Season) Records: Steal average . ultimatesportsstats.com . 2010 . May 29, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090618222523/http://www.ultimatesportsstats.com/ncaabasketballstats.htm . June 18, 2009 . mdy-all .
  10. Web site: 75th Anniversary Countdown . . May 29, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110708212600/http://www.csuvikings.com/sports/m-baskbl/clst-m-baskbl-75countdown.html . July 8, 2011 . mdy-all .
  11. Web site: The NCAA News . NCAA.org . . 2009 . September 24, 2013.
  12. News: Spousta . Tom . Battle for throne under Dome begins today . . March 18, 1994 . Google news archive . May 29, 2010.
  13. Web site: Roderick Anderson – Founder and President . Fundamental Flavor . 2006 . May 29, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110711054014/http://www.fundamentalflavor.com/roderick.htm . July 11, 2011 .
  14. Web site: Men's Basketball . . PDF . May 29, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110613091020/http://www.southland.org/fls/18400/pdf/2009MensBasketball.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=18400 . June 13, 2011 .
  15. Web site: Ball State University Basketball History . bsufans.com . . November 30, 2003 . May 29, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928155350/http://www.bsufans.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=224 . September 28, 2007 .
  16. Web site: Single Season Leaders and Records for Steals Per Game . Sports Reference, LLC . 2010 . May 29, 2010.
  17. Web site: Sophomore Guard Jay Threatt Finishes Season No. 1 in Steals per Game . . March 2010 . May 19, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100527151449/http://www.desu.edu/dsus-threatt-finishes-season-no-1-steals-game . May 27, 2010 . mdy-all .
  18. Web site: Anthony Nelson Stats . ESPN Internet Ventures . 2011 . March 21, 2011.
  19. Web site: Duke Mondy stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2013 . March 22, 2013.
  20. Web site: Brianté Weber stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2013 . March 26, 2014.
  21. Web site: Corey Walden stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2015 . March 28, 2015.
  22. Web site: Tra-Deon Hollins stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2016 . March 26, 2016.
  23. Web site: Ehab Amin stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2017 . March 31, 2017.
  24. Web site: Joseph Chartouny stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2018 . March 11, 2018.
  25. Web site: Matisse Thybulle stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2019 . March 24, 2019.
  26. Web site: Jacob Gilyard stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2020 . March 13, 2020.
  27. Web site: Nendah Tarke stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2022 . March 19, 2022.
  28. Web site: Kellen Tynes stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2023 . April 4, 2023.
  29. Web site: Arturo Dean stats . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com. 2024 . March 24, 2024.

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