Family atmosphere entices Lohaus to join UNI

IOWA CITY - He's still playing baseball for the Iowa City West Trojans, can't give that up. But Tanner Lohaus is full-bore basketball without a doubt.

He came to that realization a couple of years ago and cemented it earlier this week with a verbal commitment to the University of Northern Iowa. That's where he'll join his older brother, Wyatt, who had a fine freshman season for the Panthers.

'I'd say it was probably around ninth grade when i decided to concentrate on basketball the most,” the junior said. 'Wyatt was getting recruited, and I enjoyed watching him get recruited.”

Tanner Lohaus made an official visit to Cedar Falls on Tuesday. That's when head coach Ben Jacobson extended him a scholarship offer.

'I went into it thinking there was a 50-percent chance of that happening,” he said.

Lohaus is a 6-foot-6 forward who has a higher upside because he has played most of the sports in his life instead of just basketball. He said he played soccer up to middle school and was a football player until eighth grade.

Then there's baseball. Lohaus averaged 11.0 points and 4.4 rebounds this past season for West, shooting 61.1 percent from the field and 82.0 percent from the free-throw line.

'My brother going there is a big part of my decision to go to UNI,” he said. 'I've been able to see everything up close. It's like a family atmosphere. For me, that's just what we have at West High, just what we have on my AAU team.”

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