Iowa freshman forward Nicholas Baer walked onto the basketball program two years ago with no certainties he’d ever:

a) play any meaningful role

b) earn a scholarship

We were all witness to his heart and desire this year, and at times Baer was able to take over a few games for brief stretches. His heart appears cut out of the mold of Ryan Bowen or Chris Street; he does not stop moving and good things happen to and for basketball players who are always in motion.

On Thursday, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery rewarded Baer with a scholarship:

Fran McCaffery rewards Nicholas Baer with a scholarship. Baer has 3 years of eligibility remaining. #Hawkeyes. pic.twitter.com/LjTVGNB3Jg — Iowa Basketball (@IowaHoops) April 7, 2016 Continue reading below Related In HawkeyeNation Forums

The freshman averaged 4.8/pgg and 2.6/rpg last year and he was second on the team with 19 blocked shots. Here is the official release from Iowa:

University of Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery announced Tuesday that sophomore-to-be Nicholas Baer has been rewarded with a scholarship. Baer, who redshirted his first year, has spent the past two seasons as a preferred walk-on with the Hawkeyes.

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“I am so thankful that coach McCaffery gave me the opportunity to walk-on; he gave me a jersey, gave me a chance to prove myself,” Baer said. “It has always been a goal of mine to achieve a scholarship and I’m thankful that I have achieved that goal, but more so I’m thankful for all of my teammates who have pushed me to make me a better player and the support I’ve received from Hawkeye fans.”

Baer (6-foot-7, 200 pounds) competed in all 33 games this past season, averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He also ranked second on the team in blocked shots with 19.

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“When we invited Nicholas to walk-on two years ago, I had a strong suspicion that this day would come,” said McCaffery. “I didn’t give him a scholarship, he earned one and that’s the greatest compliment that you can give to 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.”

Baer scored in double figures in five games, including netting 15 points in Iowa’s NCAA Tournament contest against national champion Villanova. The native of Bettendorf, Iowa, also excels in the classroom, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors last month.