StaTuesday: Gophers' Lynch makes his mark defensively

Minnesota's Reggie Lynch averaged 3.53 blocks per game.

For the second time in its history, a member of the University of Minnesota men's basketball team is the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year.

And for the second time, that player didn't start his career with the Gophers.

Reggie Lynch was named the league's top defender Monday, just two years after transferring to the program from Illinois State, and joining Travarus Bennett as the only Gophers to win award.

Bennett too was a transfer, joining the Gophers in 2000 following a two-year career at Southwest Missouri State-West Plains Junior College.

But while Bennett won the award after leading the conference in steals, Lynch has made his name by swatting down shots.

Player	Team	Games	Min	Blocks	Blocks/Game
Reggie Lynch	Minnesota	30	678	106	3.53
Mike Watkins	Penn State	31	720	80	2.58
Nick Ward	Michigan State	31	608	50	1.61
Damonte Dodd	Maryland	24	467	49	2.04
Dererk Pardon	Northwestern	23	704	47	2.04
Trevor Thompson	Ohio State	31	713	47	1.52
Thomas Bryant	Indiana	31	880	46	1.48
D.J. Wilson	Michigan	31	920	43	1.39
Gavin Skelly	Northwestern	31	570	41	1.32
Nicholas Baer	Iowa	31	740	39	1.26

Lynch led the Big Ten with 106 blocked shots -- 26 more than his closest competitor -- and nearly 6.5 blocks per 40 minutes.

The latter is one of the best single-season marks in recent Big Ten history, second only to Ohio State alum Ken Johnson since the 1996-1997 season.

Player	Team	Season	Games	Min	Blocks/40 mins
Ken Johnson	Ohio State	1999-2000	30	885	7.28
Reggie Lynch	Minnesota	2016-17	30	678	6.25
Calvin Booth	Penn State	1997-98	32	990	5.66
Ken Johnson	Ohio State	2000-01	31	916	5.46
Erek Hansen	Iowa	2005-06	34	662	5.38
Erek Hansen	Iowa	2004-05	32	635	5.23
Calvin Booth	Penn State	1996-97	27	706	5.21
Joel Przybilla	Minnesota	1999-00	21	638	5.08
A.J. Hammons	Purdue	2013-14	31	775	4.95
A.J. Hammons	Purdue	2014-15	34	827	4.64