AP men's player of the week: Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner dominates in pair of wins

Published Jan. 21, 2025 12:47 p.m. ET

Associated Press

The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 11 of the season:

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton

The 7-foot-1 senior center had a dominating week in a pair of wins, averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

Kalkbrenner opened the week with 20 points, 10 rebounds, six blocked shots and three assists in an 84-64 win over Providence. He made 8 of 12 shots from the floor and was 2 for 4 from 3.

Kalkbrenner backed that up with 16 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in a 68-63 win over UConn that ended the two-time reigning national champions' 28-game home winning streak.

An honorable mention preseason AP All-American, Kalkbrenner averages 17.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and is fourth nationally with 2.88 blocked shots per game.

Runner-up

Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue. The 6-9 junior from Indiana was key in the 11th-ranked Boilermakers' two road wins last week.

Kaufman-Renn scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half with six rebounds and three assists in a come-from-behind 69-58 win over Washington. He followed with 23 points, 11 rebounds and made all nine of his free throws in a 65-58 win over No. 15 Oregon.

Kaufman-Renn leads the Boilermakers with 17.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Honorable mention

Rahsool Diggins, UMass; Caleb Grill, Missouri; Tyeree Bryan, Santa Clara.

Keep an eye on

Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest. The 6-5 guard is having a strong second season after transferring from Gonzaga.

Sallis leads the Demon Deacons with 19.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He scored 30 points and went 12 for 17 from the floor in Wake Forest's 80-67 win over Stanford. Sallis followed that up with 24 points, seven rebounds and two steals in a 72-63 win at Virginia Tech.

The Demon Deacons have won five straight and are 6-1 in ACC play headed into home games against North Carolina and No. 2 Duke this week.

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