the rim-protecting force who changed Washington's interior game
In the 2014-15 season at Washington, Robert Upshaw became one of college basketball’s premier shot-blockers, averaging 10.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game in 19 games; he was tracking toward a school-record block total and led the nation in blocks per game during that stretch[1][8][9]. His value was simple and loud: elite size, real paint deterrence, and the kind of defensive gravity that changes how opponents attack the rim. The flip side was just as real—his college story also included a dismissal from Washington for a team-rules violation, so the fit question came with a maturity and availability caveat[3].
