Jesse Van Kalsbeek
| No. 42 – South Dakota State Jackrabbits | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | Summit League |
| Personal information | |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | MOC-Floyd Valley (Orange City, Iowa) |
| College |
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| Career highlights | |
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Jesse Van Kalsbeek is an American college basketball player for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits of the Summit League. He previously played for Northwestern College (IA), where he won the 2026 Bevo Francis Award as the best small college basketball player in the United States.
Early life and high school
Van Kalsbeek grew up in Sheldon, Iowa and attended MOC-Floyd Valley High School.[1] He averaged 20.4 points per game as a junior.[2] As a senior, Van Kalsbeek was named Iowa Mr. Basketball after averaging 26 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.[3]
College career
Van Kalsbeek began his college basketball career playing for NAIA Northwestern College.[4] As a freshman, he was named the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Freshman of the Year and first-team All-GPAC after averaging 20.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and setting a school freshman record with 678 points scored.[5] As a sophomore, Van Kalsbeek led the NAIA with 27.8 points per game while averaging 12.4 rebounds per game and was named the GPAC Player of the Year, the NABC NAIA Player of the Year, and won the Bevo Francis Award as the best small college basketball player in the nation.[6][7]
After his sophomore season Van Kalsbeek transferred to South Dakota State.[8]
Personal life
Three of Van Kalsbeek's older brothers played college basketball at Northwestern.[9]
References
- ↑ Zimmer, Matt (June 11, 2026). "Jesse Van Kalsbeek eager to prove himself at D1 level for South Dakota State". SiouxFallsLive.com. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
- ↑ "MOC-FV's Jesse Van Kalsbeek commits to Northwestern men's basketball". KCAU9.com. December 12, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ "MOC-Floyd Valley's Jesse Van Kalsbeek named 2024 Iowa Mr. Basketball". KCAU9.com. March 12, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Cifonelli, Paul (May 7, 2026). "Who did South Dakota State basketball pick up in transfer portal?". Argus Leader. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- ↑ Becker, Dana (December 29, 2025). "One Of Top College Basketball Scorers Hails From Iowa High School". SI.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Dohmen, Ervin (March 30, 2026). "Jesse Van Kalsbeek named NAIA men's Player of the Year". KTIV.com. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ Dohmen, Ervin (April 6, 2026). "Jesse Van Kalsbeek named 2026 Bevo Francis Award winner". KTIV.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Timmerman, Ryan (April 28, 2026). "College basketball: Van Kalsbeek transfers to SDSU after 2 standout seasons at Northwestern". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Seamer, Cooper (March 20, 2025). "Van Kalsbeeks have made Northwestern Men's Basketball a family affair". DakotaNewsNow.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.