LAS VEGAS – The Aztecs big men neutralized one of the most skilled centers in the nation on Tuesday morning as they defeated Creighton (4-2) 71-53 at the Players Era Festival. SDSU improved to 3-1 on the young season. Kalkbrenner, center for the Creighton Bluejays, is a two-time Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist. Last year, he joined Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning as the only players to win BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year three or more times.
SDSU rim protectors Jared Coleman-Jones, Magoon Gwath, Miles Heide and Pharaoh Compton collectively held their own against one of the best players in the BIG EAST. Going into the contest, Kalkbrenner averaged 21.4 points per game and nine rebounds on the season. At the MGM Grand Garden Arena, he only managed 11 points (5-12) and five rebounds. The Bluejays 7-footer also had a season-high five blocks in the loss.
Sophomore guard Miles Byrd commented on the challenge of going up against a premier player like Kalkbrenner in the postgame press conference.
“It’s easy to, especially with good competition, it’s easy to drive out of control and off balance,” Byrd said. “But when you have a shot blocker like that, it’s easier for a team like that to fan out on a drive. So guarding the two-on-two on the ball screen, just playing off two feet and being sure of your decisions.”
Creighton suffered its first loss last Friday to Nebraska 74-63. In the defeat, Kalkbrenners’ game was exposed. The Cornhuskers held the star center to only four points in 39 minutes and created a blueprint for how to stop him. Kalkbrenner also had his NCAA-leading streak of 62 straight games with eight or more points snapped.
The Scarlet and Black have played several skilled big men this season and more are still to come. Head coach Brian Dutcher discussed the gauntlet of bigs his team will see in November.
“You look at our back-to-back games, we had to play Ike and Huff from Gonzaga and follow up with Kalkbrenner,” Dutcher said. “And we’ll play Bittle tomorrow. We’re playing as good of bigs as there are in our three-game stretch as anybody in the country.”
SDSU’s defense put on a clinic once again. They gathered eight steals, nine blocks and held the high-scoring Creighton offense to just 53 points. Through their first five games, Creighton averaged 83 points per game.
Byrd commented on the length of the team aiding in their defensive success.
“I think this year, we’re so long and athletic that it’s going to be a sure thing that we come in the game, get a lot of blocks and deflections,” Byrd said.
San Diego State will face off against Oregon on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 1 p.m. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.