Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big East Basketball: Analyzing each program’s 2020 recruiting class

By Trevor Sinodhinos

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 16: The Big East logo before the Championship game of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 16: The Big East logo before the Championship game of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images) /
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Creighton Basketball
NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 12: The Creighton Bluejays uniform logo (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images) /

Creighton Bluejays: No. 4 Big East, No. 28 Nation

Ryan Kalkbrenner – 6’11 / 210 C

The four-star center from Trinity Catholic High School has the potential to develop into a key player for Coach Greg McDermott and Creighton Basketball.  For the 2020-21 season, there are several storylines for Bluejays’ fans to follow, but while at CHI Health Center they can expect a ‘big man’ who prefers to pass in the paint than post up in Kalkbrenner. Although, if the ball comes to him and he is already under the basket, he is dunking it. As a senior, guards at Trinity Catholic would go as far as to clear him out of the key on offense. Even at the high school level, his perimeter defense was not effective.

Modestas Kancleris – 6’8  / 195 PF

The power forward from Lithuania is the only incoming recruit out of the three that Creighton has joined them who is not a four-star. Kancleris is, however, the most fundamentally sound freshman in not only Omaha but all the Big East. Kancleris stays low on his close-outs with a hand up. He moves his feet while guarding the perimeter which allows him to switch on screens and keep the smaller man in front of him. When defending the paint, he does not block many shots but changes plenty. His lack of physicality is a greater issue than his shooting form that resembles more of a launch than a shot. Despite not being able to overpower anybody, he hustles for offensive boards and has great technique on his box-outs for defensive boards.

Rati Andronikashvili – 6’4 / 190 PG

A four-star guard from Georgia (the country)  who is a pesky defender that is able to strip ball-handlers so often that he may have to reduce his aggressiveness in the NCAA or risk getting burnt off the dribble. With his great ball-handling, he is able to go coast-to-coast from loose ball rebound to finishing a lay-up, for once he gets going he is not passing.  He saves his assists for beating guards up top then dishing to his forwards after drawing the help.

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