List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career steals leaders
In basketball, a steal is the act of legally gaining possession of the ball by a defensive player who causes the opponent to turn the ball over. The top 25 highest steals totals in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's basketball history are listed below. The NCAA did not split into its current divisions format until August 1973. From 1906 to 1955, there were no classifications to the NCAA nor its predecessor, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States. Then, from 1956 to spring 1973, colleges were classified as either "NCAA University Division " or "NCAA College Division ". Steals are a relatively new statistic in college basketball, having only become an official statistic beginning with the 1985–86 season.
The all-time Division I steals leader is John Linehan of Providence. He recorded 385 steals between 1997–98 and 2001–02, utilizing a partial fifth season in 1999–2000 that he had to redshirt due to medical reasons. The second all-time steals leader, Eric Murdock, also played at Providence. He recorded 376 steals.
Three schools have two different players representing them on the top 25 list. Providence, which has the top two, is followed by Alabama A&M and Maryland.
Key
| Pos. | G | F | C | Ref. |
| Position | Guard | Forward | Center | References |
| * | Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Team |
Top 25 career steals leaders
| Player | Pos. | Team | Career start | Career end | Games played | Steals | Ref. |
| G | Providence | 1997 | 2002 | 122 | 385 | ||
| G | Providence | 1987 | 1991 | 117 | 376 | ||
| G | VCU | 2011 | 2015 | 127 | 374 | ||
| G | Temple | 1996 | 2000 | 116 | 365 | ||
| G | Nebraska | 1996 | 2001 | 131 | 353 | ||
| G | Georgetown | 1998 | 2002 | 128 | 349 | ||
| G | Ball State | 1994 | 1998 | 116 | 347 | ||
| G | Alabama A&M | 2002 | 2006 | 114 | 346 | ||
| G | San Francisco | 1992 | 1996 | 111 | 344 | ||
| G | Maryland | 1992 | 1996 | 122 | 344 | ||
| G | Cincinnati / South Carolina | 2005 | 2010 | 128 | 342 | ||
| G | Drexel | 1984 | 1988 | 115 | 341 | ||
| G | Cleveland State | 1986 | 1990 | 119 | 341 | ||
| G | Ohio State | 2010 | 2014 | 148 | 337 | ||
| G | ETSU | 1987 | 1991 | 127 | 334 | ||
| G | Maryland | 1998 | 2002 | 141 | 333 | ||
| G | Alabama A&M | 1999 | 2002 | 84 | 330 | ||
| G | Washington | 2015 | 2019 | 135 | 330 | ||
| G | WVU | 2014 | 2018 | 144 | 330 | ||
| G | Portland / UNLV | 1987 | 1991 | 138 | 329 | ||
| G | Syracuse | 1996 | 2000 | 132 | 329 | ||
| G | Ohio | 2009 | 2013 | 143 | 328 | ||
| G | NC State | 1987 | 1991 | 124 | 328 | ||
| G | St. Bonaventure | 2000 | 2004 | 112 | 325 | ||
| G | Duquesne / Arizona | 2010 | 2015 | 139 | 324 |