Sioux Center, Iowa — Ty Van Essen, a senior at Western Christian High School (Iowa), has announced his intention to attend Dordt and join the Defender basketball program.
“Ty has had one of the great careers at Western over his last four years. He has always played well in big moments and is a State Champion. His versatility gives him an opportunity to have a great career at Dordt,” said Dordt basketball coach Brian Van Haaften.
Van Essen is a 6-5 forward who averaged 18.9 points per game with 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this season. He averaged 16.9 points per game as a junior and took in 8.2 rebounds per contest with 2.3 assists. He was a two-time first team all-state selection and was the state tournament all-tournament team captain in 2021 when Western claimed a state title. Van Essen averaged 14 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore and 6.5 points per game as a freshman and totaled 1,236 points in high school and grabbed 559 rebounds.
“I chose Dordt because they have an incredible community which is very supportive. The coaches on the basketball team all believe I can develop to be a better player and man of Christ. I’m excited to make relationships with my teammates and other people that will last a lifetime,” said Van Essen.
Ty is the son of Dave and Jill Van Essen of Sheldon, Iowa. He plans to study business at Dordt.
