For a lot of Saturday evening’s second-round recreation within the NCAA Event, it regarded like Ninth-seeded Creighton basketball had an opportunity to shock the world. Nonetheless, it did not have fairly sufficient juice to maintain tempo with top-seed Auburn for the complete 40 minutes as Bruce Pearl’s Tigers pulled away in an 82-70 win.
One of many sadder moments of March Insanity yearly is watching the entire seniors and gamers graduating take a look at of the sport one remaining time, however the second hits completely different when it is a legend. Huge man Ryan Kalkbrenner has turn out to be among the finest gamers within the historical past of Creighton basketball, and he shared a touching second with head coach Greg McDermott close to the tip of the competition.
Kalkbrenner leaves Creighton as not solely a Bluejays legend, however somebody whose report will stay on in Huge East historical past endlessly. On the finish of the 2024-25 season, he grew to become the primary participant since Patrick Ewing at Georgetown to win the convention’s Defensive Participant of the Yr award 4 consecutive seasons.
Kalkbrenner certainly has a profession within the NBA forward of him along with his elite room safety and talent to complete performs across the basket. He additionally added a bounce shot to his recreation this season, which ought to make him extra of a risk offensively within the execs.
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He is not fairly able to look ahead to that simply but. After his remaining recreation, Kalkbrenner spoke concerning the tradition at Creighton and what he has left behind for the following technology, by way of Clayton Collier of First Alert 6.
Ryan Kalkbrenner on the values he needs the following technology of Bluejays to hold on at Creighton:
“Being about the precise issues, eager to get higher. Not considering something is above your self. Be prepared to place within the work, and be prepared to have enjoyable.”#GoJays #RDJ pic.twitter.com/UUuiXyajcw
— Clayton Collier (@ClaytonJCollier) March 23, 2025
“Simply hold exhibiting up on daily basis, being about the precise issues, eager to get higher,” Kalkbrenner stated, by way of Collier. “Not considering something is above your self. Be prepared to place within the work, and be prepared to have enjoyable. Basketball is a recreation on the finish of the day and it is best to have enjoyable. 4, 5 years goes by quick so get pleasure from each minute of it.”
Throughout Kalkbrenner’s time with the Bluejays, they received an NCAA Event recreation in all 5 seasons together with two journeys to the Candy 16 and one journey to the Elite Eight. Creighton completed all of that regardless of by no means being seeded increased than No. 3 in its area, and Kalkbrenner’s dominance is a serious motive for that.