Ryan Kalkbrenner goes off: Where Creighton star’s historic season opener stands in history books

Creighton star big man Ryan Kalkbrenner had a historic and efficient outing Wednesday night in the No. 15 Bluejays’ 99-86 win over UT-Rio Grande Valley, finishing with 49 points on 20 of 22 shooting to open the season. Kalkbrenner’s 49 points were the second most by a Creighton player in program history — two shy of a school record — and his 20 made field goals set a new school record.

“That was an incredible performance by Ryan,” said Creighton coach Greg McDermott after the game, later adding with a grin a friendly jab at his star after he went 7 of 8 from the charity stripe. “If he’d have made all his free throws, he’d have had 50.”

The offensive explosion from Kalkbrenner was a necessary contribution for Creighton, which got more than it bargained for at home against a 30.5-point underdog. Creighton’s lead was single digits until the final 75 seconds, which led Kalkbrenner to play 36 of the game’s 40 minutes.

Here are some odds and ends of his historic night by the numbers — first with a look at where his points total stands among all Division I players since the 2010-2011 season, via Stathead.

Most points in single game (2010-present)

Historical stats

• Among power-conference players, Kalkbrenner’s 49 points were third most since 2010-11.
• Most points scored by a power-conference player since Markus Howard scored 51 vs. USC on Nov. 29, 2019.
• Kalkbrenner’s 49 points were the most by a Creighton player in a game played at CHI Health Center arena in Omaha, Nebraska, besting Doug McDermott’s previous record of 45 points set in 2014. It was two points shy of a program record still held by Bob Portman, who in 1967 scored 51 points vs. UW-Milwaukee.
• With 20 made field goals on 22 field goal attempts, he becomes the first player in NCAA history since Bill Walton in the 1973 national championship game to make 20 field goals on 90% or better shooting. Walton went 21 of 22 shooting and scored 44 points in the national final to lead UCLA to a title.
•  Kalkbrenner’s 20 made field goals set a new Creighton record. 
• Of Kalkbrenner’s 49 points, 29 came in the second half, and he went a perfect 11 of 11 shooting in the final 20 minutes.
• Per OptaSTATS, Kalkbrenner became the first Division I or NBA player to score 45 or more points while missing three or fewer shots in a game since Dirk Nowitzki did it in the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Kalkbrenner missed two field goals and one free throw in the win.
• Funny one from anonymous college basketball account and super-scooper Trilly Donovan: Kalkbrenner’s 49 points were more than Alcorn State, Oakland and Vermont scored as a team on Wednesday.
• His 49 points are the fourth-most in a season-opener for a player on a ranked team in AP poll history, per ESPN.