When watching a basketball game, no one tends to look at the team bench. But on Eastern’s bench, the face of junior Ben Kuiken can always be seen, cheering on his teammates.
Kuiken graduated from Eastern Christian High School in North Haledon, N.J. He has spent all three years of his collegiate career at Eastern.
Originally, the shooting guard was swayed into coming to Eastern because of his sister, 2008 grad Mandy Kuiken, who also played basketball at Eastern. Kuiken also played soccer and baseball before he came to Eastern. He is majoring in Elementary Education, with hopes of becoming a teacher.
When asked about what he brings to the men’s basketball team, Kuiken said, “I like to think I always keep the team light. I tell jokes and keep people loose.”
Kuiken knows more about basketball than just telling jokes. His favorite statistic in basketball is assists.
“It’s important to the team,” he said. “I’ve always considered myself a good passer, and it’s most important to help make the people around me better.”