« DI Men’s Basketball 2012-13

Ben Averkamp

School
Loyola-Chicago
Position
Forward
Major
Biology
PPG
15.6
RPG
6.7
APG
1.5

Classroom

Averkamp defines the term “student-athlete"and carries a 3.7 grade-point average as a biology major, who has plans to attend medical school after graduation. Last year, the forward was named Capital One First Team Academic All-District V and in addition to being named to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll, was also chosen to the Horizon League Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team, the I-AAA Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team and the National Jesuit Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team. Averkamp also collected Horizon League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Month honors in February 2012.

Character

From head coach Porter Moser: “Ben is the kind of guy you would want to marry your daughter. In addition to being a leader on our team, he is also a tremendous student who has an extremely bright future ahead of him. Ben is a first-class individual and is a true role model for our players, students and Rambler fans.”

Community

In addition to volunteering his time at Misericordia Heart of Mercy, a service provider for individuals with mental and physical disabilities, Averkamp also in an active member of both the Loyola and Horizon League Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC). The Germantown, Wis., native is the President of Loyola’s SAAC and the Horizon League SAAC.

Competition

Averkamp developed into one of the top players in the Horizon League last season, earning Second Team All-Horizon League accolades. The 6-foot-8 senior became the first Loyola player since 2007 to earn all-conference accolades and was one of only two players to rank among the top five in the Horizon League in both scoring (15.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg). He enters the 2012-13 season needing only 11 points and 27 rebounds to become just the 19th player in Loyola history to rack up 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. The first Rambler since 2005 to lead the team in both scoring and rebounding in the same season, Averkamp scored in double figures on 21 occasions in 2011-12, 10 times scoring more than 20 points. His buzzer-beating shot provided the winning margin in Loyola’s come-from-behind victory at Toledo last December and the forward finished the contest with a career-best 31 points as Loyola emerged victorious despite playing the game with only six scholarship players. Averkamp was at his best against the best competition, pouring in 19 points at Kansas State, 23 points at Butler and 20 points versus Detroit at the Horizon League Championship last winter. During his sophomore campaign, Averkamp contributed 12.0 ppg and was named to the Nick Kladis Classic All-Tournament Team. That year, his breakthrough performance came against No. 5 Kansas State when he posted 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. In 2011-12, Averkamp was a key to Loyola’s wins, averaging 20.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg and shooting 50 percent from the field in the Ramblers’ wins. Last year, he was named to the National Jesuit Honor Roll on three occasions and became Loyola’s first Horizon League Men’s Basketball Player of the Week since 2009 when he collected the award on Feb. 20.