Illinois Basketball: Could Ryan Kalkbrenner be the next Illini big man?
It looks like the Illinois basketball team might be in line to land a big man for the class of 2020.
Let’s be honest here, while the Illini landed Kofi Cockburn for the class of 2019, he won’t be around very long. I would give him a maximum of two years with the Orange and Blue. So, that means Illinois is going to need to find a suitable replacement for him. That replacement might be Ryan Kalkbrenner
Kalkbrenner is a 7-foot, 210-pound center from Trinity Catholic High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 197 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 26 center in the nation. He is also the No. 4 player in the state of Missouri as well.
As of right now, Illinois has four scholarships open for 2020, but there are still two spots to fill for 2019. So, that means the Illini will have, roughly, two open spots on the team. Kalkbrenner would be a good option for Brad Underwood.
The possibility of landing Kalkbrenner might be getting great as well. Over the past few days, the 247Sports Crystal Ball has changed and is now 100-percent in favor of the Illini landing this big man. That is huge news for the program because we could use a player of his caliber.
Illinois has been missing a solid rim protector for a while now. They haven’t had someone who can come in and prevent scoring in the paint. That is what I believe Kalkbrenner can do for the program. He is more of your typical big man. He doesn’t shoot the three-point shot, but he is efficient when it comes to free throw shooting.
Through eight games of the EYBL AAU season, Kalkbrenner has helped the Mac Irvin Fire to a 7-1 record. He is averaging 8.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 blocks and 1 assist per game. He is also shooting 64.3-percent from the field and 78.9-percent from the free throw line.
dark. Next. Updated Illini projected starting lineup for 2019-2020
Illinois is now projected to be the landing spot for Kalkbrenner. This is exciting news because of the defense he brings to the table. Hopefully, we can land another Trinity Catholic player, this time for the basketball team.