OMAHA, Neb. -- One day after repeating as BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named National Defensive Player of the Year by Field of 68.
Kalkbrenner leads the BIG EAST with 2.2 blocked shots per game, which ranks 18th nationally. The Florissant, Mo., native ranks second in CU history with 189 career blocked shots and anchors a Bluejay defense that led the league during conference play in scoring defense, scoring margin and field goal percentage defense. Kalkbrenner had a streak of 25 straight games with a blocked shot snapped on Saturday in an 84-70 win at DePaul and is also second on the team with 6.