Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner
Kalkbrenner & Alexander Make Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Preseason 50 Watch List
11/6/2023 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Both men are also Preseason All-BIG EAST and up for NABC Player of the Year.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Creighton's Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner are two of 50 men named to the 2023-24 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's Preseason 50 Watch List.
Creighton is one of 11 schools with multiple honorees on the list. Kansas has three men, while Arizona, Creighton, Duke, FAU, Houston, Marquette, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, North Carolina and USC all had a pair of players recognized.
Alexander is the fifth different Bluejay in head coach Greg McDermott's 14-year tenure to be on a Naismith Award watch list. Doug McDermott was on the Preseason watch list in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 and was a finalist in 2012-13 before winning the award in 2013-14. Marcus Foster was named to the Midseason watch list in 2016-17, then made the Preseason and Midseason watch list in 2017-18. Marcus Zegarowski was on the Preseason and Midseason watch list in 2020-21. Last season, Kalkbrenner was on both the Preseason and Midseason watch lists, in addition to being a semifinalist and finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
A junior from Oklahoma City, Okla., Alexander was named a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST pick, a Preseason Third Team All-American by both 247Sports and CBS Sports and is on the Preseason Watch List for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. Last season Alexander averaged 13.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists while starting all 37 games and earning Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST acclaim. He scored a career-high 32 points in a Christmas Day win over DePaul and remains one of four Bluejays in program history with multiple games of seven or more three-pointers made.
A Florissant, Mo., native, Kalkbrenner enters senior season with lofty expectations after averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game last season. A year ago he was named First Team All-BIG EAST and became the 11th player in league history to be a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. The preseason buzz has ramped up heading into 2023-24 as he's been named a Preseason All-American by 247Sports (First Team), CBS College Sports (Second Team), FoxSports.com (Second Team) and College Hoops Today (Second Team) in addition to becoming the first player in program history to twice earn Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST accolades. He's also on the Preseason Watch List for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.
Today's recognition comes less than a week after the same duo were named by the National Association of Basketball Coaches Preseason Watch List for the 2024 NABC Division I Player of the Year award.
Creighton opens the regular-season on Tuesday, Nov. 7, when it hosts Florida A&M at 8 p.m. on FS1.
Creighton is one of 11 schools with multiple honorees on the list. Kansas has three men, while Arizona, Creighton, Duke, FAU, Houston, Marquette, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, North Carolina and USC all had a pair of players recognized.
Alexander is the fifth different Bluejay in head coach Greg McDermott's 14-year tenure to be on a Naismith Award watch list. Doug McDermott was on the Preseason watch list in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 and was a finalist in 2012-13 before winning the award in 2013-14. Marcus Foster was named to the Midseason watch list in 2016-17, then made the Preseason and Midseason watch list in 2017-18. Marcus Zegarowski was on the Preseason and Midseason watch list in 2020-21. Last season, Kalkbrenner was on both the Preseason and Midseason watch lists, in addition to being a semifinalist and finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
A junior from Oklahoma City, Okla., Alexander was named a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST pick, a Preseason Third Team All-American by both 247Sports and CBS Sports and is on the Preseason Watch List for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. Last season Alexander averaged 13.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists while starting all 37 games and earning Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST acclaim. He scored a career-high 32 points in a Christmas Day win over DePaul and remains one of four Bluejays in program history with multiple games of seven or more three-pointers made.
A Florissant, Mo., native, Kalkbrenner enters senior season with lofty expectations after averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game last season. A year ago he was named First Team All-BIG EAST and became the 11th player in league history to be a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. The preseason buzz has ramped up heading into 2023-24 as he's been named a Preseason All-American by 247Sports (First Team), CBS College Sports (Second Team), FoxSports.com (Second Team) and College Hoops Today (Second Team) in addition to becoming the first player in program history to twice earn Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST accolades. He's also on the Preseason Watch List for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.
Today's recognition comes less than a week after the same duo were named by the National Association of Basketball Coaches Preseason Watch List for the 2024 NABC Division I Player of the Year award.
Creighton opens the regular-season on Tuesday, Nov. 7, when it hosts Florida A&M at 8 p.m. on FS1.
| 2023-24 JERSEY MIKE'S NAISMITH TROPHY MEN'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR PRESEASON WATCH LIST | |||||
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | FULL NAME | CLASS | POS | SCHOOL |
| Max | Abmas | Max Abmas | Grad Student | G | Texas |
| Trey | Alexander | Trey Alexander | Junior | G | Creighton |
| Armando | Bacot | Armando Bacot | Grad Student | F/C | North Carolina |
| Oumar | Ballo | Oumar Ballo | Senior | C | Arizona |
| Reece | Beekman | Reece Beekman | Senior | G | Virginia |
| Adem | Bona | Adem Bona | Sophomore | F/C | UCLA |
| Trevon | Brazile | Trevon Brazile | Sophomore | F | Arkansas |
| Johni | Broome | Johni Broome | Junior | F/C | Auburn |
| Boo | Buie | Boo Buie | Grad Student | G | Northwestern |
| Donovan | Clingan | Donovan Clingan | Sophomore | C | UConn |
| Isaiah | Collier | Isaiah Collier | Freshman | G | USC |
| L.J. | Cryer | L.J. Cryer | Senior | G | Houston |
| Tristan | da Silva | Tristan da Silva | Senior | F | Colorado |
| Johnell | Davis | Johnell Davis | Junior | G | FAU |
| RJ | Davis | RJ Davis | Senior | G | North Carolina |
| Tucker | DeVries | Tucker DeVries | Junior | G/F | Drake |
| Hunter | Dickinson | Hunter Dickinson | Senior | C | Kansas |
| Zach | Edey | Zach Edey | Senior | C | Purdue |
| Justin | Edwards | Justin Edwards | Freshman | G | Kentucky |
| Boogie | Ellis | Boogie Ellis | Fifth Year | G | USC |
| Kyle | Filipowski | Kyle Filipowski | Sophomore | C | Duke |
| PJ | Hall | PJ Hall | Senior | C | Clemson |
| Dajuan | Harris Jr. | Dajuan Harris Jr. | Junior | G | Kansas |
| A.J. | Hoggard | A.J. Hoggard | Senior | G | Michigan State |
| DaRon | Holmes II | DaRon Holmes II | Junior | F | Dayton |
| Bryce | Hopkins | Bryce Hopkins | Junior | F/G | Providence |
| Kam | Jones | Kam Jones | Junior | G | Marquette |
| Ryan | Kalkbrenner | Ryan Kalkbrenner | Senior | C | Creighton |
| Tyler | Kolek | Tyler Kolek | Senior | G | Marquette |
| Caleb | Love | Caleb Love | Senior | G | Arizona |
| Aidan | Mahaney | Aidan Mahaney | Sophomore | G | Saint Mary's |
| Alijah | Martin | Alijah Martin | Junior | G | FAU |
| Kevin | McCullar Jr. | Kevin McCullar Jr. | Senior | G | Kansas |
| Judah | Mintz | Judah Mintz | Sophomore | G | Syracuse |
| Justin | Moore | Justin Moore | Grad Student | G | Villanova |
| Grant | Nelson | Grant Nelson | Senior | F | Alabama |
| Ryan | Nembhard | Ryan Nembhard | Junior | G | Gonzaga |
| Norchad | Omier | Norchad Omier | Junior | F | Miami |
| Clifford | Omoruyi | Clifford Omoruyi | Senior | C | Rutgers |
| Nijel | Pack | Nijel Pack | Junior | G | Miami |
| Tylor | Perry | Tylor Perry | Fifth Year | G | Kansas State |
| Tyrese | Proctor | Tyrese Proctor | Sophomore | G | Duke |
| Terrence | Shannon Jr. | Terrence Shannon Jr. | Fifth Year | G | Illinois |
| Jamal | Shead | Jamal Shead | Senior | G | Houston |
| Tolu | Smith | Tolu Smith | Grad Student | F | Mississippi State |
| Isaiah | Stevens | Isaiah Stevens | Grad Student | G | Colorado State |
| Wade | Taylor IV | Wade Taylor IV | Junior | G | Texas A&M |
| Santiago | Vescovi | Santiago Vescovi | Fifth Year | G | Tennessee |
| Tyson | Walker | Tyson Walker | Grad Student | G | Michigan State |
| Jahmir | Young | Jahmir Young | Fifth Year | G | Maryland |
Players Mentioned
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