After several key departures, the Iowa Hawkeyes made sure to go find help via the transfer portal.
Valparaiso graduate transfer Ben Krikke recently announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes. The 6-foot-9, 220 pound big led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game. He was even better than that mark in league play, scoring on average 21.0 points per game.
The Edmonton, Alberta, product averaged 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. Krikke shot 55 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line.
Today, Iowa officially announced Krikke’s signing. With his signature, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery can comment on the Canadian’s arrival.
“We are excited that Ben is joining our Hawkeye family. Ben can score a variety of ways and shoots at a high percentage. He is excellent in transition and has a high basketball IQ. Having a need to bolster our frontcourt depth, Ben is a tremendous fit and addition to our program,” McCaffery said.
Krikke shared his thoughts on joining the Hawkeyes, too.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to become a Hawkeye. I am excited to get to campus. I can tell the school is rich in tradition and history and is serious about success both academically and athletically. I’m excited to be supported by such a vibrant fan base and get to be a part of such a great community. I want to do everything I can to help the team win games and contribute to the school’s legacy.
“I enjoyed getting to know the coaching staff over my recruitment process and respect them both on and off the court. They want to win and so do I. They are genuine people that are dedicated to seeing their players succeed. I also enjoyed getting to meet the players when I visited. I can tell they are serious about success both on and off the court and many of us approach the game with a similar mindset. We all want to work and push each other to get better,” Krikke said.
Iowa has two scholarships remaining open that it can fill for the 2023-24 men’s college basketball season.
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