A former Hawkeye basketball player has returned to the United States and participated in one of the biggest offseason tournaments.
Ben Krikke played with the Hawkeyes during the 2023-24 season after spending four years at Valparaiso. He played in 34 games as a Hawk, averaging 13.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.7% from the field. Following his time with the Hawkeyes, Krikke spent a season playing in Canada with the Edmonton Stingers and played last season in Spain with Club Ourense Baloncesto. He averaged 11.5 points and four rebounds per game last year in Spain.
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Krikke returned to the States to play in a huge offseason tournament. He joined the Valparaiso alumni team, Shield 219, in “The Basketball Tournament”.
What is “The Basketball Tournament”
Mar 14, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Ben Krikke (23) dribbles around Ohio State Buckeyes guard Evan Mahaffey (12) during the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
The TBT, as it’s affectionately known, is a 64-team tournament featuring various college alumni teams. Schools like Penn State, Indiana, and Syracuse, among others, have alumni teams that play in the tournament. It started in 2014, and close to 600 games have been played across those ten years. The tournament has since partnered with ESPN for coverage and has paid out over $13 million in prize money.
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How did Krikke and Shield 219 perform?
Valparaiso’s team, Shield 219, was back in the tournament this year after losing to Assembly Ball, Indiana’s alumni team, last year. Unfortunately for Krikke and Shield 219, their run in the tournament came to an end in the first round with a 77-69 defeat to All Good Dawgs, the Butler alumni team. Krikke had a massive game, scoring 19 points and hauling in an impressive 16 rebounds in the loss. He was 9-15 from the field and 1-2 from behind the arc.
Fans can tune in first and second round games of the tournament for free on YouTube. While Krikke and Shield 219’s run is over, there’s still some really fun basketball to watch for anyone missing the thrill of college basketball this offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Former Hawkeye Ben Krikke shines in “The Basketball Tournament”
