The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year is an annual college basketball award presented to the top defensive player in men's basketball in the Pac-12 Conference.

The winner was selected by conference coaches, who were not allowed to vote for players on their own team.

[2][6] Gary Payton won both awards in separate seasons with Oregon State, capturing the defensive honor as a freshman in 1987 and the conference player of the year as a senior in 1990.

[7][8] He credited Beavers coach Ralph Miller with molding him into a standout defender.

[7] His son, Gary Payton II, later played with Oregon State as well, and was voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016.