March Madness: Can Texas avoid having Kentucky's Clara Strack block its Elite Eight path?

FORT WORTH — When this season's Naismith defensive player of the year is named in the next few days, the winner won't hail from the SEC. South Carolina guard Raven Johnson, who won the SEC's version of the award, wasn't among the four national finalists this year — UCLA's Lauren Betts, West Virginia's Jordan Harrison, Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo and UConn's Sarah Strong. Neither was Texas women's basketball star Rori Harmon, who recently became UT's all-time leader in steals .

Kentucky center Clara Strack is arguably the best shot blocker in college basketball, but she solicited just semifinalist's status this season. Liz Scott of the Oklahoma Sooners shoots against Clara Strack? of the Kentucky Wildcats in the second quarter during the quarterfinal round of the SEC women's basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 7, 2025 in Greenville, South Carolina.

(Eakin Howard/Getty Images) MORE: Subscribe to the Statesman's Texas sports newsletter For the most part, Texas coach Vic Schaefer bit his tongue Friday when he was asked about this year's national defensive honor. He said he didn't want to take anything away from the finalists, but argued that voters should factor in the level of competition on their ballots. "All I'll say is we play in the Southeastern Conference, and it is full of future WNBA players," Schaefer said.

"I'll take our league against any other league with how many players are in that league, how many future players are in that — going to be in that league, and that's who we have to guard every night. We'll just leave it at that. " Kentucky Wildcats center Clara Strack (13) and Texas Longhorns forward Teya Sidberry (32) dive for the ball as Texas takes on Kentucky at The Moody Center in Austin Monday, Feb.