HOUSTON’S JOSEPH TUGLER RECIPIENT OF 2025 LEFTY DRIESELL AWARD
The top defensive player in division I college basketball

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- Houston’s Joseph Tugler is the recipient of the 2025 Lefty Driesell award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in division I college basketball.  

Tugler finished the regular season ranked third in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally with 2.0 blocks per game. He also pulled down 5.6 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-8 sophomore is the anchor for a Houston team that is No. 1 in college basketball in defensive efficiency.

“Joseph Tugler is the kind of defensive anchor that every coach dreams of -- relentless, disciplined, and a game-changer on that end of the floor,” said James Wilhelmi, Senior Analyst of CollegeInsider.com. “His ability to protect the rim and set the tone defensively makes him more than deserving of the Lefty Driesell Award. Simply put, he's a difference-maker.”

Tugler has blocked at least one shot in all but three games with multiple blocks games in 18 games. He swatted eight shots against Alabama at the Players Era Festival, becoming the first Cougar to accomplish that feat since the 2005-06 season.

The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year became only the sixth Cougar in school history to block 8+ shots in a single game, joining center Emmanuel Adeife, center Anwar Ferguson, forward Dwight Jones, center Hakeem Olajuwon and forward Bo Outlaw.

The Lefty Driesell award is named in honor of the legendary coach who spent over four decades as a head coach.

Driesell won 786 games in 41 years at Davidson, Maryland, James Madison, and Georgia State. He ranks eighth on the NCAA career Division I coaches victories list and his teams at each stop were known for playing tenacious defense. From 1969-1986 at Maryland, his teams posted a jo348-159 record, won two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles and one tournament title.

Driesell also led Davidson, Georgia State and James Madison to the NCAA tournament, making him one of three coaches to reach the NCAAs with four different programs. His teams won a total of 16 regular season championships and six tournament championships.

Charles “Lefty” Driesell passed away on Feb. 17, 2024. He was 92.

LEFTY DRIESELL AWARD FINALISTS