The Creighton Bluejays got a massive boost on Wednesday evening, when their superstar big man, Ryan Kalkbrenner, announced his return to the program for one more year. The three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year posted the announcement on his social media page with three words: “Not. Done. Yet.”
He’s been one of the most dominant players in college basketball for the past few seasons and his return is without a doubt, big-time for the Creighton roster. Last year, he averaged 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists for the Bluejays. He also shot 64.6% from the field, ranking him sixth in the country in that stat. From beyond-the-arc, he averaged 29.6%, decent numbers for a player of his size, 7-foot-1, 270 pounds.
His real dominance has been displayed the past few seasons on the defensive end, where he’s averaged at least 2.0 blocks per contest in three straight seasons. Last year, he averaged 3.1 blocks per game, ranking him second in the country. The only person ahead of him was Isaiah Cozart of Eastern Kentucky, who averaged 3.9 blocks per game.
In his recent way-too-early look at the Top 25 rankings for the 2024-2025 college basketball season, James Fletcher III listed the Bluejays at No. 10. While they lose Baylor Scheierman, Creighton returns Trey Alexander, Steven Ashworth, Kalkbrenner, and Mason Miller. They’ve also brought in a few additions in Jackson McAndrew, Jamiya Neal, and Pop Isaacs.
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