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.