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. Credit: AP/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.