OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season.
Creighton has now had a BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in five of the past eight seasons.
Kalkbrenner is just the third player in league history to win the recognition more than twice, joining four-time selection Patrick Ewing (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985) and three-time honoree Alonzo Mourning (1989, 1990, 1992).
Kalkbrenner leads the BIG EAST with 3.0 blocked shots per game, which ranks second-most nationally. The Florissant, Mo.