Photo by Purdue Fort Wayne Athletics

After spending the last three years playing Division I basketball in Indiana, 2022 Pella Christian graduate Eric Mulder is returning to Iowa to finish his college hoops career at Iowa State University.

Prior to entering the NCAA’s transfer portal, Mulder was a member of the Horizon League’s Purdue-Fort Wayne Mastodons, playing in 91 games and starting in 58 of them. During his three seasons in a Mastodons’ uniform, Mulder averaged 19.1 minutes per game, while scoring 5.7 points a contest on 71.4% shooting from the field and pulled down 5.4 rebounds a night. As a junior this past winter, the former Eagle posted his best season to date, averaging 8.4 points and 6.7 rebounds a game while making 76.3% of his shots, and graded out in the KenPom rankings as the top player in the country in offensive efficiency. 

At Pella Christian, Mulder was a three-year member of the varsity boys basketball team, and started in 48 of the 55 games he played in. Eric posted career numbers of 11.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game, while also making 63.1% of his total shots and 34% of his three point attempts. As a senior on Eagle Lane, Mulder was the ninth player in Eagles program history to be selected to the Class 2A All-State First Team, after averaging 11.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1.6 steals. In addition to his success on the basketball court, Eric was also a standout football player at Pella Christian, earning Class 1A All-State Third Team honors as a senior with the fifth most receiving touchdowns in the class with nine.

Mulder joins a Iowa State team that finished fifth in the Big 12 Conference this season, and posted an overall record of 25-10 while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year.