AP men’s player of the week: Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner couldn’t miss in 2 opening-week games
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) runs off the court after an NCAA college basketball game against Texas Rio Grande Valley Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Bonnie Ryan)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Bonnie Ryan]
The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 1 of the season:
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
The 7-foot-1, 270-pound fifth-year senior put up incredible numbers in the 14th-ranked Bluejays’ first two games, starting with a career-high 49 points on 20-for-22 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in a win against UT-Rio Grande Valley. The output was two points shy of matching Bob Portman’s single-game program record set in 1967. Kalkbrenner followed that by scoring 24 points on 9-for-10 shooting in a win against Fairleigh Dickinson. For the week, he averaged 36.5 points on 90.6% shooting (29 of 32).
Runner-up
Zeke Mayo, Kansas. The 6-4 transfer from South Dakota State made an immediate impact for No. 1 Kansas. He had 19 points in his Jayhawks debut against Howard. Then, in a blueblood matchup against then-No. 9 North Carolina, Mayo had 21 points with five rebounds and four assists in the 92-89 home win. Mayo twice tied the game in the final 2 1/2 minutes, first with two free throws and later a jumper at the 1:45 mark. For the week, he made 14 of 26 shots (.538) and made 8 of 17 3-pointers (.471).
Honorable mention
Alex Karaban, UConn; Kam Jones, Marquette.
Keep an eye on
Nelly Junior Joseph, New Mexico. The 6-10 center is off to a strong start in his fifth year, starting with 28 points and 16 rebounds against Nicholls State and then another double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds) in the Lobos’ takedown of then-No. 22 UCLA. He’ll have another shot at a ranked opponent this week as New Mexico plays No. 22 St. John’s on Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
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