ABA alum Ben Krikke named MVC Player of the Week for Second Time in Four Weeks

For the second time in a span of four weeks, Alberta Basketball Association alumnus Ben Krikke of Valparaiso University men’s basketball has been named the Missouri Valley Conference of the Week Player of the Week.

The honour was announced Monday (Feb. 20), following a week which saw the Edmonton native average 29.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor (22-of-36), 40 percent from three-point range (2-of-5), and 80 percent from the free-throw line (12-of-15) over two games.

Krikke's spectacular week was highlighted by a career-high 34 points on Sunday at UIC, the second-highest single game scoring output by a Missouri Valley Conference player this season. The Jasper Place High School grad also pulled down 10 rebounds for his second double-double of 2022-23.

For the season, Krikke is averaging an MVC-best 19.6 points per game, while shooting 54.8 from the field and 79.5 on free-throws. No other player in NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball is averaging more than 17.6 points while also registering field goal and free throw percentages as high as Krikke.  

'Ben continues to raise his level of play in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA,” says Paul Sir, Alberta Basketball Association’s Executive Director. “The game is becoming easier for him due to his hard work and relentless effort. He will finish the regular season strong and will look to lead his team into the conference tournament. ABA supports Ben every step of the way.'

This is the third MVC Player of the Week in the career of Krikke, who also received the award on Jan. 30, 2023, and Jan. 26, 2021.