Former Hawkeye Ben Krikke’s pro basketball career has memorable start

While the Edmonton Oilers are dueling Dallas for a National Hockey League conference championship, former Iowa basketball player Ben Krikke helped another Edmonton team start its season with gusto.

Krikke averaged 13.8 points for Iowa in the 2023-24 season after playing four years at Valparaiso. The Edmonton native then signed with the Edmonton Stingers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

The Stingers’ first game of the season was Tuesday night against the Calgary Surge in Calgary’s NHL arena, the Scotiabank Saddledome. Typically, the Surge play in a smaller venue, but they made an event of their season-opener and drew a league-record 12,327 fans.

Krikke’s Stingers, however, prevailed with a 97-79 victory. Krikke played 20 minutes in his pro debut, scoring 15 points. His team has 10 Canadians, four Americans.

The CEBL has 10 teams, five in the western half of Canada, five in the Eastern half.

Another former Iowa player, Peter Jok, plays for the Ottawa BlackJacks. Hason Ward, who finished his college career at Iowa State in March, plays for the Scarborough Shooting Stars.

Comments: mike.hlas@thegazette.com