Dick Vitale's top 4 defenses to watch heading into March Madness - ESPN

Oh, baby! If you're looking for prime-time, lockdown, suffocating defense, you don't need to look any further than these four fortresses: Duke Blue Devils, Houston Cougars, St. John's Red Storm and the Tennessee Volunteers. When it comes to crunch time, these teams don't just defend, they destroy your rhythm, they disrupt your game plan, and they dictate the outcome with their toughness, togetherness and tenacity.

And let me tell you, defense isn't just something these teams stumble upon. It's preached daily by some of the best coaches in America!

Jon Scheyer at Duke: The young maestro in Durham has his Blue Devils buying into the defensive gospel, just like the days of Coach K. They fly around the court, close out on shooters and turn stops into transition buckets.

Kelvin Sampson at Houston: Oh, are you kidding me? The Cougars don't just play defense — they eat you alive! They are so physical, so relentless, they wear you down possession after possession with their smothering ball pressure and rebounding domination.

Rick Pitino at St. John's: One of the game's greatest minds has turned the Red Storm into a defensive nightmare. They switch, they trap, they make you uncomfortable. Pitino's crew is buying into his full-court pressure and locking teams up in the half court.

Rick Barnes at Tennessee: Oh, Rocky Top, baby! The Vols' defense is like a steel wall. They help, they rotate, they contest everything — nobody gets an easy look against these guys. If you don't take care of the basketball, Tennessee will make you pay with its relentless intensity.

Now, let's talk about what makes these defenses elite, because my philosophy has always been simple:

1. Help-and-recover is the name of the game: The best defensive teams