URI Seven-Footer Moek Icke Is Back With Team and Working to Get Back in the Game

URI Seven-Footer Moek Icke Is Back With Team and Working to Get Back in the Game

After being forced to leave the team due to health reasons early in the 2024-25 season, URI’s seven-foot-one-inch center, Moek Icke, was back home in the Netherlands contemplating a future without basketball. A serious health issue had developed, and he was displaying symptoms of Marfan syndrome, a rare heart disease that affects connective tissues, such as blood vessels, ligaments, and bones. The disease is incurable but treatable. However, it brings a heightened risk of aortic aneurysm rupture, which is a sudden tearing of the aorta's wall – the main artery that carries blood from the heart.

 

The Rhode Island Rams were the last thing on his mind.

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Contemplating life without basketball

While recalling what he was going through, Icke said, “If I had Marfan, there would be no more basketball for me.”

 

He had great family support, and his daily conversations with his mom gave him strength. Fortunately, the diagnosis and prognosis were challenging but not devastating. He did not have Marfan Syndrome but did have to undergo heart surgery and extensive rehabilitation.

 

No timeline on his return to practice or games

Icke came back to Kingston this summer with a smile and his engaging personality. He is healthy but has not been cleared for basketball activities. He can do non-weight-bearing conditioning and some basketball skill work, as the doctors have advised to take things slowly. Icke is working as hard as they will allow to get cleared to practice again. There is no timeline for when he will be ready for practice, let alone games.

 

When asked about a timeline, Icke said, “Who knows, who knows, I am just trying to get healthier and get back into practice before I look out into all that game stuff. Obviously, that’s the goal, but we will see when it happens.”

 

Last year was a whirlwind

A different person flew across the Atlantic to URI this summer than the one who took the trip last year. Icke is comfortable and confident. Last year was a whirlwind with everything being unknown.

 

In 2024, he received interest from some colleges, but gave them little attention, as he had decided to remain in Europe and play basketball there. Unexpectedly, things with his European team changed, and URI made a very timely call. The team had already started practicing but had one open roster spot.

 

After conducting some quick research and having never visited the school, Icke committed to the Rams. Within days, he was on a plane, and the jet-lagged seven-footer was on the court practicing the next day. Everything was new and different. A new country, new culture, new school, new coaches, new teammates, and a different, more physical brand of basketball. There was help from the athletic office, but essentially, he had to figure everything out for himself.

 

Then, a few short months later, before he could fully acclimate, his health issues arose, and he found himself flying back to the Netherlands with an uncertain future.

 

His second trip to URI is like a rebirth. This time, he knows where the gym is and knows what to expect athletically and academically.

 

How he fell in love with basketball

Icke grew up in a small village of only 10,000 people. His main athletic endeavor was soccer. When he was 10, he participated in a basketball competition at his school, organized to encourage students to join the school team. They were giving away free basketballs if you committed to continuing.

 

In talking about this experience, Icke said, “I immediately fell in love with the game. I told my mom no more soccer as I wanted to play basketball.” His mom replied, “OK, but don’t do it just for the basketball!”

 

Icke was 14 when he dunked for the first time. He was also 14 when his family moved to Purmerend, a city near Amsterdam, as there were better opportunities to develop his basketball skills there than in his village.

 

How is his game?

Icke runs the floor well and can protect the rim. When asked about his strengths on the court, he said, “I am a big presence on the court and can impact the ball underneath. I also like shooting the three.”

He continued, “Basketball is much more physical in the US, and I like that. Don’t underestimate me by thinking I am a soft European.”

 

When asked what he wanted people to know about his game, Icke responded,” I definitely want people to know the last few years I have been getting more and more confident, just in general. But also, more confident with the ball. I always struggled a bit with my ball handling, but that’s something I have really been really improving.  

 

When asked about Icke, coach Archie Miller said, “We’re taking it very slow, and we will have another update on him at the end of the month. He’s a good player, and he’s an unbelievable kid. We are crossing our fingers that he can continue to make progress this fall. He’s a big kid that’s going to be good.”

 

Bigger, stronger, and how long are those arms?

Last year, Icke weighed 220 pounds. He now weighs 250. Asked if it was all muscle, he said, “Some of it is, and I am working hard to turn the rest into muscle.”

 

He also has a +4 Ape Index (ratio of arm span to height). For most people, their arm span equals their height. Icke’s arm span is 4 inches longer than his height. He is the sixth seven-footer in URI basketball history and was surprised to hear there have been so few.

 

Icke has learned a great deal about life in the past year and knows what he wants to achieve. What he doesn’t know is how much this team needs a big man, and after learning about his situation, how much the Rams’ fan base will be pulling for him.