“Blows My Mind”: NBA’s Cold Shoulder to 3× Big East DPOY Leaves Dan Hurley Shell-Shocked

It is not an easy task to grab Dan Hurley’s attention. However, once you do, there’s no doubt he will give the credit where it is due. Even if the entire NBA does not believe so. Something similar happened when the back-to-back reigning National champion coach came across Creighton Bluejays’ star player. With the fifth-year senior giving Hurley’s UConn a hard time, the coach speaks up on his NBA prospects and how the current standing shocks him.

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s record as a 3x DPOY and one of the best shot blocker in the current college basketball world makes him an intimidating opponent in the NCAA. No doubt Hurley opened up about this issue in a pregame presser. He said, “[Kalkbrenner] should have been a first-round pick by now and gone. We shouldn’t be still dealing with him… How Ryan Kalkbrenner is not a first-round pick, it blows my mind.. He should be easily a top 20 pick.”

Indeed, Kalkbrenner’s NBA draft is long overdue. He has consistently given better performances each year starting from about 6 points average as a freshman to an average of 17.8 points last season. Per multiple mock drafts, he still stands in the second round pick, going to the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the major reasons why one of the best defensive players in the NCAA is not able to climb the draft ladder is his “speed, agility and ability to guard” on an NBA level per NBA Draft Room.

Nevertheless, he ended up giving Hurley a hard time in the game afterward where he scored 16 points to seal a victory. In his 39 minutes, he also managed to contribute to the scoreboard with 10 rebounds and 3 assists. Notably, he has successfully broken UConn’s streak of not losing a single home game the entire season.

Dan Hurley went on to compare the defense acumen of Kalkbrenner to ex-Huskies Donovan Clingan while landing a soft jab at Kalkbrenner’s long stint at Creighton. “I couldn’t imagine coaching Donovan for five years, he causes rare problems for you defensively like Donovan did for us with other teams.”

Interestingly, both centers have been known to give a hard time to opponents with their towering heights. However, the Creighton center’s aggressive scoring makes him an intimidating opponent to play against at his 7-ft-1 height. He has even made 16 or above points in the last six games. Not to mention the awesome 26-point he made against the Butler Bulldogs to secure a narrow win of 80-76.

His fans can only hope that Dan Hurley’s wishes are heard and they get to see him in the NBA soon. However, it was his teammate that stole the show against the Huskies. Let’s look at the game that broke Huskies’ 28 home-wins streak.

Jamiya Neal adds to Hurley’s troubles with career-high performance

Jamiya Neal delivered his season-best performance with a career-high 24 points, successfully leading Creighton to a 68-63 victory over No. 14 UConn on Saturday. Bluejays fans are definitely looking up to Neal this season, especially after his stellar games against Notre Dame Villanova.

The Bluejays managed to get a 35-28 halftime lead, with Neal scoring 17 of his points in the first half. UConn tried fighting back in the second half, thanks to Alex Karaban and clutch three-pointers from Solo Ball and Jaylin Stewart. A 12-2 Huskies run briefly secured a 43-41 lead, but Creighton gave it back with a crucial 6-0 rally.

In the game’s decisive moments, Creighton’s composure at the free-throw line was everything they needed. Kalkbrenner’s go-ahead basket with just over three minutes remaining put the Bluejays ahead for good. Steven Ashworth sealed the win with four free throws in the final minute.

Now that the Bluejays are sitting on a three-win streak and the Huskies are waiting for their next moment, all eyes are on their next games. De Paul is hosting Creighton next week while the Huskies host the Butler Bulldogs. Let’s see what’s next for our Big East rivals.