For the third consecutive season, Valparaiso University men’s basketball senior Ben Krikke (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada / Jasper Place) is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team, which was announced by the league office on Monday.

Krikke is the conference’s only three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team honoree this season. He was one of five student-athletes selected for the squad, which was voted upon by the league’s sports information directors based on academic and athletic qualifications.

The 6-foot-9 forward certainly meets the criteria as he owns a 3.78 grade point average in finance to go along with a league-leading scoring average of 19.6 points per game overall. In league play, he finished as the MVC scoring king at 21.0 ppg.

Krikke was also recently named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District for the second time in his career. His long list of honors also includes 2020-21 MVC Most-Improved Team and All-MVC Third Team accolades each of the last two seasons. He ranks eighth on the program’s all-time scoring list and also sits in eighth place on the program’s single-season scoring list. Twice this season he earned MVC Player of the Week accolades.

2023 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE FIRST TEAM

Student-Athlete, School Yr. GPA Major Hometown / Last School

Marcus Domask, S. Illinois Sr. 3.99 Sport Administration Waupun, Wis. / Waupun High

Michael Duax, UNI R-Fr. 3.86 Biology Dubuque, Iowa / Dubuque Hempstead High

Ben Krikke, Valparaiso Sr. 3.78 Finance Edmonton, Alberta, Canada / Jasper Place High

Rienk Mast, Bradley Jr. 3.54 Physics (Chemistry minor) Groningen, Netherlands / Donar Groningen

Filip Skobalj, UIC So. 4.00 Business Management Belgrade, Serbia / Don-Bosco-Schule Rostock

2023 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE SECOND TEAM

Student-Athlete, School Yr. GPA Major Hometown / Last School

Trent Brown, Southern Illinois Sr. 3.91 Finance Scottsdale, Ariz. / Pinnacle High

Trenton Gibson, Indiana State Gr. 3.81 Sport Management Murfreesboro, Tenn. / Blackman High / Tusculum

Connor Hickman, Bradley So. 3.75 Marketing & Leadership Bloomington, Ind. / Bloomington South High

Cade McKnight, Indiana State Gr. 4.00 Sport Management Grinnell, Iowa / Grinnell High / Truman State

Derek Sabin, Belmont Sr. 3.91 Exercise Science (Chemistry) Slinger, Wis. / Slinger High

2023 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE HONORABLE MENTIONS

Student-Athlete, School Yr. GPA Major Hometown / Last School

Quincy Anderson, Murray State Gr. 3.77 MBA Oshkosh, Wis. / North Oshkosh / Minn. St.-Mankato

James Betz, UNI Jr. 3.58 Movement & Exercise Science Ventura, Iowa / Garner-Hayfield-Ventura High

Connor Enright, Drake R-Fr. 3.78 Marketing Mundelein, Ill. / Mundelein High

Antoine Smith Jr., Evansville Jr. 3.59 History Westerville, Ohio / Collin CC (Texas)

Isiah Walker, Belmont R-Fr. 3.82 Business Wyoming, Ohio / Wyoming High

Landon Wolf, UNI R-Fr. 3.72 Business Administration Cedar Falls, Iowa / Cedar Falls High