He worked for it and now, Nicholas Baer from Bettendorf, has earned a basketball scholarship from the University of Iowa.
"Earned" is the key word. Baer redshirted his first year, and has spent the past two seasons as a preferred walk-on with the Hawkeyes, according to a statement from the university's athletic department.
Baer ranked second on the team in blocked shots with 19, and he averaged 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game as he competed in all 33 games this past season. He had double-digit scoring in five games.
Baer also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in March 2016.
"I didn't give him a scholarship, he earned one," said Iowa head men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery, "and that's the greatest compliment that you can give him. He just wanted a chance, and felt like he would take it from there, and he did."
“He really worked hard his redshirt year to figure out what he needed to do to be successful at this level. Nicholas was a terrific player for us in a lot of different ways this past season. He impacts the game with his energy, basketball instincts, shooting, rebounding, defense, and he doesn’t make mistakes. He’s everything you want on the floor, especially with the way we play. I’m excited about having him in our program for the next three years," McCaffery said.
Related: