Kalkbrenner Named to NABC Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
10/30/2024 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Kalkbrenner is one of four repeat honorees
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of 20 men named by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to the Preseason Watch List for the 2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year award. Kalkbrenner is one of four BIG EAST representatives on the list, as he's joined by Kam Jones (Marquette), Alex Karaban (Connecticut) and Kadary Richmond (St. John's).
A Florissant, Mo., native, Kalkbrenner enters fifth season with lofty expectations after averaging 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots per game last season. A year ago he was named Second Team All-BIG EAST and became the third player in league history to be a three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, joining Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing.
The preseason buzz has ramped up heading into 2024-25 as he's been named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and a First Team Preseason All-American by CBS Sports, FOX Sports and Field of 68. He remains the only player in program history to earn multiple Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST accolades, having done so three times. Kalkbrenner also owns Creighton records in NCAA Tournament play for wins played in, points, blocks, field goals and games played in, as CU has made three trips to the Sweet 16 or beyond in his first four seasons.
The 2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year - selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches - will be announced the week of the 2025 Men's Final Four. Former Purdue standout Zach Edey won the award each of the last two seasons, becoming the first repeat winner since Duke's Jason Williams in 2001 and 2002.
The NABC began announcing a Preseason Player of the Year Watch List in 2019-20. Creighton's only previous honorees had been Marcus Zegarowski (2020-21), Trey Alexander (2023-24) and Kalkbrenner (2023-24) before today. The only other players to make this list each of the past two seasons have been Kalkbrenner, Oumar Ballo (Indiana), Hunter Dickinson (Kansas) and Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M).
The 2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List is the second one of the day for Kalkbrenner, as he was also named one of 50 candidates for the 2024-25 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Watch List presented by AXIA Time an hour ago.
Creighton opens the regular-season on Nov. 6 when it hosts UTRGV at 8 p.m.
2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year – Preseason Watch List
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Johni Broome, Auburn
L.J. Cryer, Houston
Johnell Davis, Arkansas
RJ Davis, North Carolina
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Kam Jones, Marquette
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Alex Karaban, Connecticut
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Caleb Love, Arizona
Norchad Omier, Baylor
Kadary Richmond, St. John's
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
Mark Sears, Alabama
Braden Smith, Purdue
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
A Florissant, Mo., native, Kalkbrenner enters fifth season with lofty expectations after averaging 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots per game last season. A year ago he was named Second Team All-BIG EAST and became the third player in league history to be a three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, joining Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing.
The preseason buzz has ramped up heading into 2024-25 as he's been named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and a First Team Preseason All-American by CBS Sports, FOX Sports and Field of 68. He remains the only player in program history to earn multiple Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST accolades, having done so three times. Kalkbrenner also owns Creighton records in NCAA Tournament play for wins played in, points, blocks, field goals and games played in, as CU has made three trips to the Sweet 16 or beyond in his first four seasons.
The 2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year - selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches - will be announced the week of the 2025 Men's Final Four. Former Purdue standout Zach Edey won the award each of the last two seasons, becoming the first repeat winner since Duke's Jason Williams in 2001 and 2002.
The NABC began announcing a Preseason Player of the Year Watch List in 2019-20. Creighton's only previous honorees had been Marcus Zegarowski (2020-21), Trey Alexander (2023-24) and Kalkbrenner (2023-24) before today. The only other players to make this list each of the past two seasons have been Kalkbrenner, Oumar Ballo (Indiana), Hunter Dickinson (Kansas) and Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M).
The 2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List is the second one of the day for Kalkbrenner, as he was also named one of 50 candidates for the 2024-25 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Watch List presented by AXIA Time an hour ago.
Creighton opens the regular-season on Nov. 6 when it hosts UTRGV at 8 p.m.
2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year – Preseason Watch List
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Johni Broome, Auburn
L.J. Cryer, Houston
Johnell Davis, Arkansas
RJ Davis, North Carolina
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Kam Jones, Marquette
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Alex Karaban, Connecticut
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Caleb Love, Arizona
Norchad Omier, Baylor
Kadary Richmond, St. John's
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
Mark Sears, Alabama
Braden Smith, Purdue
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
Players Mentioned
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