Ryan Kalkbrenner

Ryan Kalkbrenner
Kalkbrenner in 2024
No. 11 – Creighton Bluejays
PositionCenter
LeagueBig East Conference
Personal information
Born (2002-01-17) January 17, 2002 (age 23)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High schoolTrinity Catholic
(St. Louis, Missouri)
CollegeCreighton (2020–present)
Career highlights and awards
  • 3× Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2022–2024)
  • First-team All-Big East (2023)
  • Second-team All-Big East (2024)
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2021 Latvia Team

Ryan Thomas Kalkbrenner (born January 17, 2002) is an American college basketball player for the Creighton Bluejays of the Big East Conference. He is from Florissant, Missouri.

High school career

Kalkbrenner played basketball for Trinity Catholic High School in St. Louis, Missouri.[1] As a junior, he averaged 13.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game, earning AAA Player of the Year and Class 3 All-State honors.[2][3] Kalkbrenner competed for Mac Irvin Fire on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit, and was named Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.[4] In his senior season, Kalkbrenner averaged 16.3 points, 11 rebounds and 5.7 blocks per game, repeating as a Class 3 All-State selection.[5] A consensus four-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Creighton over offers from Stanford, Purdue and Kansas.[6]

College career

Kalkbrenner came off the bench in his freshman season at Creighton. On December 17, 2020, he recorded a season-high 15 points and five rebounds in a 94–76 win over St. John's.[7] As a freshman, Kalkbrenner averaged 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, leading all Big East freshmen in blocks.[8] On February 12, 2022, he scored a career-high 22 points and had 15 rebounds in an 80–66 win against Georgetown.[9] Kalkbrenner was named Honorable Mention All-Big East as well as Defensive Player of the Year.[10][11] He suffered a knee injury in a 72–69 overtime win over San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament, ending his season. Kalkbrenner averaged 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.[12]

During the following NCAA tournament, Kalkbrenner scored a career-high 31 points during a 72–63 first round win over NC State.[13]

On October 23, 2024, he was named 2024-2025 Big East Conference Preseason Player of the Year.[14] On November 6, he scored a career-high 49 points in a win over the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros and set a Bluejays record with 20 made field goals.[15]

National team career

Kalkbrenner represented the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia. He averaged 5.9 points, four rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[16]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Career Stats

Season GP MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
2023–24 35 34.6 64.6 29.6 71.1 7.6 1.3 3.1 0.4 1.9 1.5 17.3
2022–23 34 32.3 69.5 31.6 79.5 6.1 1.2 2.1 0.6 1.9 1.5 15.9
2021–22 34 29.4 64.6 25.0 73.6 7.7 0.9 2.6 0.4 1.4 1.4 13.1
2020–21 31 13.8 64.5 0.0 48.9 3.5 0.3 1.2 0.2 1.5 0.5 5.9

References

  1. ^ Nyatawa, Jon (June 7, 2020). "Big East, beware: Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner is coming to block your shots". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  2. ^ Woodcock, Rees (March 28, 2019). "Illinois Basketball: Illini offer 2020 big man Ryan Kalkbrenner". Writing Illini. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  3. ^ Beasley, Joe (February 11, 2020). "Rim Protecting Big Man named to MOsports Super 50". Rivals. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  4. ^ Snow, Brian (September 23, 2019). "Top 75 center Ryan Kalkbrenner heads to Creighton". 247Sports. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  5. ^ "C: Ryan Kalkbrenner, senior, Trinity". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 28, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  6. ^ Nyatawa, Jon (September 23, 2019). "Recruiting: 2020 center Ryan Kalkbrenner commits to Creighton". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  7. ^ Nyatawa, Jon (December 27, 2020). "Creighton's reserves, who will be instrumental this year, aim to find consistency". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  8. ^ Nyatawa, Jon (June 30, 2021). "Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner honored to represent US at U19 World Cup". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  9. ^ "Hawkins scores 30 to carry Creighton over Georgetown 80-66". ESPN. February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  10. ^ Schinzel, Gene (March 6, 2022). "Ryan Hawkins, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Creighton freshman trio net Big East honors". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  11. ^ Schinzel, Gene (March 7, 2022). "Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner named Big East Defensive Player of the Year". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  12. ^ "NCAA Tournament: Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner to miss rest of tourney because of knee injury". The Athletic. March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  13. ^ Kalkbrenner leads Creighton past NC State in March Madness
  14. ^ "Creighton's Kalkbrenner Named Preseason Player of the Year". www.bigeast.com. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  15. ^ Olson, Eric (November 7, 2024). "Ryan Kalkbrenner begins his 5th season at Creighton by scoring a career-high 49 points". AP News. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  16. ^ Anderson, Rob (July 11, 2021). "Kalkbrenner Helps USA Win FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup". Creighton University Athletics. Retrieved July 12, 2021.