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          Ranking the nation's top defenses

          Arizona returns most of the key members from last season's elite defense. Casey Sapio/USA TODAY Sports
          • John Gasaway, ESPN InsiderSep 18, 2014, 10:13 AM ET
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            • ESPN Insider college basketball contributor
            • First began covering college hoops in 2004
            • Has written for Basketball Prospectus and the Wall Street Journal
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          On Tuesday I named my top 10 offenses for 2014-15. Now it's time for some defense.

          Which teams are well-positioned to play lockdown defense this season? To find out, I talked with coaches and sifted through the numbers to identify the nation's best heading into the 2014-15 campaign.

          Here are the top 10 teams that will shut down their opponents this season.

          1. Arizona Wildcats

          I'd feel even more confident with this pick if Aaron Gordon were still in Tucson. Nevertheless, with a healthy Brandon Ashley on hand to go along with Kaleb Tarczewski, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, T.J. McConnell and highly acclaimed freshman Stanley Johnson, I trust Sean Miller will have what he requires to put together another outstanding defense.