Krikke write-up in the Athletic...
53. Ben Krikke | 6-9 big | One year of eligibility | Valparaiso
It’ll be interesting to see how the portal evaluates Krikke’s unique game. Offensively, there isn’t much that the Valparaiso big man can’t do. He’s a tremendous post finisher, ending this season as a top-70 scorer in terms of volume as well as one of the five most efficient post scorers in the country, averaging 1.13 points per possession each time he took a shot down there. His footwork, balance, and touch in those areas are ridiculous. He has a bevy of weird hook shots, flip shots and post moves that give him just that little bit of separation he needs. If he gets in close to the basket, the ball is going in. But he’s not just a post threat. I loved his work in ball-screens this season as a pick-and-pop player. He’d get the ball from the perimeter and attack his man, throwing up some wild moves including the occasional spin move into a 16-foot jumper. He only made 28 percent from 3, but someone with this kind of touch would only need a summer to really improve that part of his game and make it a real weapon. This is how Krikke made three straight All-Missouri Valley Conference teams, including a first-team berth this season. He does present some inherent limitations at the highest level defensively because he doesn’t move all that well laterally, and doesn’t protect the rim at a super high level. But in the right spot, Krikke could be a real difference-maker at the high-major level. I wonder if a spot at Notre Dame down the road with Micah Shrewsberry, a coach known to be willing to post and play five-out, could fit.