Syracuse, N.Y. - Syracuse big man William Kyle is among the nominees for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Kyle, a 6-foot-9 senior center, is one of 25 nominees for the award. Kyle leads the ACC in overall blocks this season (2.7 per game) and ranks fourth in ACC-only games (1.8). Maliq Brown, who played two seasons at Syracuse before transferring to Duke, also appears on the watch list. The list will be trimmed to 15 on February 26, 10 on March 20, four on March 27.