Kalkbrenner Named A Semifinalist For Naismith Defensive Player of the Year
3/13/2024 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year was a finalist last season for this award
OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Wednesday.
Kalkbrenner leads the BIG EAST and is second nationally with 2.97 blocked shots per game. In league play Kalkbrenner paces the conference with an even better 3.4 blocked shots per game, and his 67 swats were the most in BIG EAST action since 2009-10. Kalkbrenner also ranks sixth in the country in field goal percentage (.650), and was the first player to lead the BIG EAST in conference play in that category in back-to-back years since UConn's Emeka Okafor in 2003 and 2004. He is also among the top 10 in the BIG EAST in points per game (17.1) and rebounds per game (7.3).
Earlier this week Kalkbrenner joined Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning as the third man in league history to be named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year three times or more. The Florissant, Mo., product has also been named a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year.
Kalkbrenner is one of two BIG EAST representatives to be named a semifinalist for the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year Award, joining Providence guard Devin Carter.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club will narrow the list to four finalists on March 21st. Kalkbrenner was a finalist for the award last year, when it was won by UCLA's Jaylen Clark. Other past winners include Auburn's Walker Kessler (2021-22), Baylor's Davion Mitchell (2020-21), Kansas' Marcus Garrett (2019-20), Washington's Matisse Thybulle (2018-19) and West Virginia's Jevon Carter (2017-18).
After earning the No. 2 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep, Creighton (23-8, 14-6 BIG EAST) will face either Providence or Georgetown on Thursday at 6 p.m. Central on FS1.
Kalkbrenner leads the BIG EAST and is second nationally with 2.97 blocked shots per game. In league play Kalkbrenner paces the conference with an even better 3.4 blocked shots per game, and his 67 swats were the most in BIG EAST action since 2009-10. Kalkbrenner also ranks sixth in the country in field goal percentage (.650), and was the first player to lead the BIG EAST in conference play in that category in back-to-back years since UConn's Emeka Okafor in 2003 and 2004. He is also among the top 10 in the BIG EAST in points per game (17.1) and rebounds per game (7.3).
Earlier this week Kalkbrenner joined Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning as the third man in league history to be named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year three times or more. The Florissant, Mo., product has also been named a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year.
Kalkbrenner is one of two BIG EAST representatives to be named a semifinalist for the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year Award, joining Providence guard Devin Carter.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club will narrow the list to four finalists on March 21st. Kalkbrenner was a finalist for the award last year, when it was won by UCLA's Jaylen Clark. Other past winners include Auburn's Walker Kessler (2021-22), Baylor's Davion Mitchell (2020-21), Kansas' Marcus Garrett (2019-20), Washington's Matisse Thybulle (2018-19) and West Virginia's Jevon Carter (2017-18).
After earning the No. 2 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep, Creighton (23-8, 14-6 BIG EAST) will face either Providence or Georgetown on Thursday at 6 p.m. Central on FS1.
| 2024 NAISMITH MEN'S DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALISTS | ||||
| FULL NAME | CLASS | POS | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
| Adrian "Ace" Baldwin Jr. | Senior | G | Penn State | BIG TEN |
| Reece Beekman | Senior | G | Virginia | ACC |
| Johni Broome | Junior | F/C | Auburn | SEC |
| Devin Carter | Junior | G | Providence | BIG EAST |
| Zach Edey | Senior | C | Purdue | BIG TEN |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner | Senior | C | Creighton | BIG EAST |
| Tamin Lipsey | Sophomore | G | Iowa State | BIG 12 |
| Kevin McCullar Jr. | Senior | G | Kansas | BIG 12 |
| Jamal Shead | Senior | G | Houston | BIG 12 |
| Zakai Zeigler | Junior | G | Tennessee | SEC |
Players Mentioned
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