A native of Kingston, Ontario, Besselink played at Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School and Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute. He enrolled at the University of Connecticut in 1983. He played for the UConn Huskies men's basketball team from 1983 to 1987. After 112 career games played, the 6'9" (204 cm) center posted career game averages of 5.2 points and 5.7 rebounds. He did not miss any game while at UConn. In his senior season, Besselink posted career-highs 10.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. In 1986, Besselink earned a spot on the Canadian Men’s National Team and participated in the World Championship in Spain.