With Ryan Kreager at center, Faribault boys basketball soars to new heights

Faribault junior Ryan Kreager, at 6-10, ducked through the doorway of the visitor's locker room inside Hill-Murray's gymnasium in Maplewood and headed to the basketball court.

He's the fourth-best prospect in the state for the Class of 2026 according to Prep Hoops and is receiving interest from Big Ten, Big East and Big 12 programs, though midmajor Division I colleges are currently pursuing him the strongest.

After tipoff, he wasted little time showing off his arsenal by scoring the Falcons' first eight points. He finished a left-handed layup on one play and dunked on the next. On one play, he quickly passed the ball after grabbing a defensive rebound, starting another fast break. He sprinted down the court and followed a teammate's missed layup with a put-back slam.

"He runs and jumps really well, and the overall impact he has on the game is hard to fully quantify," Faribault coach Eric Hildebrandt said.

Kreager finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, eight blocks and three steals, his best game of the season, and the Falcons won 64-44. A performance such as this wasn't always expected of Kreager, who was relatively unknown as a freshman.

"Ryan has gotten so much better every year," Hildebrandt said. "As he has grown to 6-10, his skill set has grown with him because of a lot of hard work and time in the gym."

Following the process

Kreager was once slow and not very athletic.

"I never really fit into my body," he said. "I hadn't figured that part out. Now I fit into my body better."

He's put on 10 pounds each year since his freshman season. He now weighs 195 pounds and goes to the weight room twice a week during the season. In the offseason, he goes to the weight room six days a week.

There's still room to grow.

"I need to get bigger and stronger," Kreager said. "I'm concentrating on my offensive game mostly now. I have to work on my shot and ballhandling. I'm comfortable shooting 15-footers, but I need to expand my distance. I'm working to become more of a forward, more versatile."

Kreager blossomed on the AAU basketball circuit. He played with Minnesota Select after his freshman season before switching to his current team, D1 Minnesota, the following year.

"It took off from there," Kreager said. "I started to take the game more seriously. As I continued to get better it changed my mindset."

As a sophomore, Kreager was regarded as one of Minnesota's top 25 players for the Class of 2026. He now has a near 30-inch vertical jump and with his 7-foot wingspan has become an elite rim protector, Hildebrandt said.

"Dunking is cool, but I really like blocking shots. It's more fun," Kreager said.

Leading a program

Kreager's presence in the paint has turned the Falcons into a winner. The team is 5-1 and ranked ninth in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News.

Faribault had 13 wins last season, two more than the previous four seasons combined.

"Ryan handles the ups and downs of basketball really well," Hildebrandt said.

Kreager is averaging 14 points, eight rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 65% from the floor and 75% from the free-throw line. His stats could be higher, but it's not the mission. He cares more about his teammates.

"He is so even-keeled and unselfish," Hildebrandt said.

Division I basketball will come, and Hildebrandt expects Kreager will get there. Until then, the success of the Falcons, who haven't reached the state tournament since 1998, is the focus.

"We have a chance to make it to the state tournament," Kreager said. "That's our goal. I think it's very achievable."