Creighton men’s basketball coach Greg McDermott borrowed from Kansas’ Bill Self on Wednesday in helping one of the Bluejays players announce his return to college basketball for another season.
“Hey @RyanKalkbrenner, it sounds like @CoachBillSelf and @H_Dickinson24 are coming to Omaha on December 4th. I could use your help that night…..what do you think?” McDermott wrote on social media site X at 3:50 p.m. Wednesday.
McDermott through the Internet was addressing 7-foot-1, 270-pound senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, a three-time Big East Conference defensive player of the year who had entered his name in the 2024 NBA Draft with the option of returning to Creighton for a fifth season, a super-senior season.
Shortly after McDermott’s post, Kalkbrenner wrote on X: “@RachSaunders_11 cancel the honeymoon.”
Kalkbrenner was informing his fiancee, Rachael Saunders, that he’d decided to play another year at Creighton and indeed compete in a marquee matchup against Kansas on Dec. 4 at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The wedding in August could go on as as scheduled. The honeymoon, however, may have to wait.
Next, Kalkbrenner wrote on X : “Not Done Yet. Excited to Build,” with the Creighton men’s basketball account proclaiming on Twitter: “He’s Back!!!”
All’s well that ends well … fiancee Saunders wrote her approval with an X post saying, “I’m sure we can make this work.”
KU coach Self had a similar exchange with one of his own players on social media site X on Friday in helping 7-foot-2 KU big man Hunter Dickinson announce his return to the Jayhawks for a final season.
Self posted at 1 p.m., Friday : “Hey @H_Dickinson24, have you made a decision yet? Everybody wants to know what you’re thinking?”
Dickinson, who had been pondering entering the 2024 NBA Draft, answered his coach’s post 30 minutes later, saying: “Yeah you’re right coach. I guess it’s time to tell everyone I’m coming back! Rock Chalk!”
It’s a logical assumption McDermott viewed that Self-Dickinson exchange on X before Wednesday’s back and forth with CU center Kalkbrenner.
So it’ll be a big-time matchup of big men in December in the Big East/Big 12 Battle contest between KU and CU in Omaha.
Dickinson, a native of Alexandria, Virginia, averaged 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game last season for the Jayhawks (23-11). Dickinson hit 54.8% of his shots. He was 23-of-65 from 3 for 35.4%. He had 76 assists to 58 turnovers with 47 blocked shots.
Kalkbrenner, a native of Florissant, Missouri, averaged a career-high 17.3 points and 3.1 blocks in 2023-24, adding 7.6 rebounds per. contest for CU (25-10). He ranked sixth nationally in field-goal percentage, shooting 64.6%. His 107 blocked shots ranked second in the country.
Kalkbrenner scored 28 points with nine rebounds and seven blocks in a win over Seton Hall in January and had 28 points in a February victory against Xavier. Kalkbrenner averaged 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks in three NCAA Tournament games.
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