The Charlotte Hornets may have themselves the best draft class in franchise history.

Of course, it’s centered around the first round draft picks in Kon Kneuppel and Liam McNeeley, two players who were critical in helping the Hornets win the 2025 Summer League Championship.

But one of the players that often goes under the radar is Ryan Kalkbrenner, a 7-foot-1 beanstalk out of Creighton and four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

Charlotte was able to pry him with the fourth pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.

And apparently, he’s turning heads in camp.

Hornets head coach, Charles Lee was incredibly impressed with how the 23-year-old processes the game.

“His basketball IQ stands out to me. His competitiveness stands out to me, and I just think his willingness to keep it simple stands out to me. I think that he is in the right position a lot of times because he is willing to do whatever it takes to help his teammates defensively and offensively. He has been phenomenal, as have all of the rookies, but he has definitely stood out.”

Kalkbrenner may not look menacing. He’s a babyfaced kid who just happens to have a wingspan that can cover most of I-85.

But that’s just it. When opposing players drive to the rim, they have the displeasure of being greeted by the 23-year old from St. Louis. 

While at Creighton, he was unstoppable. For four straight seasons, he led the Big East in shooting from the field, and for three of those seasons, led in blocks. While also leading in rebounds in his final season.

What comes off peculiar is how could someone like that get drafted so late?

In short, the NBA tends to favor rookies who err on the younger side. The belief among the league is that, if you’re drafted later on in your college career, it means that your potential has already been capped.

But with how much praise he’s been getting internally, there’s hope that he can shatter that supposed-bulletproof glass ceiling.

Many NBA pundits don’t seem to think that Charlotte has a very deep frontcourt.

Granted, it may not be the deepest, but there’s a lot of potential. Kalkbrenner will likely get mentored by veteran Mason Plumlee, but also Moussa Diabate will look to improve in his fourth NBA season.

“I mean, it’s definitely not something that you want to hear,” Diabaté said. “But we’re going to see when we play.”

Not only that, veteran Miles Bridges thinks the sky is the limit for the frontcourt.

“Yeah, I like our bigs,” Bridges said. “Moussa, not a lot of people know how good Moussa is rebounding the ball and on defense. You’ve got a veteran in Mase and Ryan is great. I love playing with Ryan, so I’m excited for our bigs this year.”

The belief is there, now it’s time to prove the pundits wrong.

Charlotte opens its season on October 22 at home against the Brooklyn Nets.