SEC Star Joins Andy Katz’s All-Defensive Team

Florida junior center Rueben Chinyelu was the lone SEC representative on Andy Katz’s All-Defensive Team. The 6-foot-10 Nigerian big man anchored Florida’s defense all season.

Chinyelu earned the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award this season. He also made the All-SEC Second Team.

Season performance and honors

Chinyelu averaged 11.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. He also received the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor.

Opponents often struggled to score around him. He produced key stops inside the conference and in nonconference play.

Katz’s All-Defensive selections

Andy Katz included four other players on his All-Defensive Team. The full group featured Duke’s Maliq Brown and St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor.

Michigan’s Aday Mara and Kansas’ Flory Bidunga rounded out the five-man unit. The NCAA March Madness account posted Katz’s list on March 18, 2026.

Conference context

The SEC placed 10 teams into the NCAA Tournament this year. Chinyelu heads into the tournament as Florida’s primary interior defender.

An SEC star earning a spot on Andy Katz’s list reinforced the conference’s defensive profile. Florida will rely on his rim protection in the postseason.

About the reporter

Cory Nightingale is a South Florida-based freelance writer for Filmogaz.com. He previously worked as a sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post.