AG for the defense

Eamonn Brennan's Wooden Watch Week Five contains some interesting material:

Why did I pop Aaron Gordon from (near) the bottom of the Wooden Watch individual list to the absolute top? Because if the season ended today, if Arizona's impressive start were stretched out over five months, and Gordon had played a key role in sealing a road win at Michigan, I feel fairly confident he would be atop most people's player of the year list. At the very least, he would be close, and since it's only December and this list will undergo massive changes before the actual end of the season, why not? It's not like he hasn't been great.

In fact, he probably has been even better than you think. Arizona's most impressive improvement this season has been on the defensive end; specifically, in the shots it forces opponents to take. Simply put, it is impossible to get a good interior look against the Wildcats. They back-line opponents into perimeter jumpers, and even if you are lucky to get into the lane, you usually miss, or have your shot blocked. Defense is half the game, and Gordon is the main factor. When you combine that raw defensive ability with his rebounding on both ends of the floor, and with his scoring (as his third or maybe even fourth most important contribution) -- I think you can make a real case here. Actually, I think I just did.