Lohaus working through struggles paying off for UNI

CEDAR FALLS — Young basketball players often learn the most in the toughest situations.

One way or the other, playing poorly teaches a player more about themselves than success. The emotional and physical response — picking themselves up mentally and getting back to the gym — is vital.

Wyatt Lohaus got that lesson this season. He struggled through Northern Iowa's loss at Hawaii, with five turnovers — three in three straight possessions at one point — and just three points. Lohaus hadn't faced these situations very often before coming to UNI. The former Iowa City West standout leaned on his dad, his coach and his teammates to respond.

Sticking with it led him to this week, where he once again faced significant action with Wes Washpun on the bench, on the road against a tough opponent. How he responded to Hawaii played a huge part in his standout performance in a win at Wichita State.

'Over the course of the next couple days, or maybe about a week after that (game), my confidence was low. But my teammates and my parents reminded me that it happens. Bad games happen. But the most important thing is to work through it, and that really helped me,' Lohaus said. 'Especially since I'd been struggling a bit lately, to have that stage and go into Wichita and have a good game — and most importantly get a win — I was ecstatic. '

Lohaus had 11 points in the Panthers' 53-50 win. Though he only averages 3.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game and his high-scoring games haven't been frequent in his time at UNI, his coming up big when no starter was in double figures didn't surprise his coach.

Ben Jacobson knows just how competitive Lohaus is, and didn't see a noticeable change in the sophomore after he struggled in Hawaii — or even in a few games during Missouri Valley Conference play. Lohaus' preparation and work ethic laid the foundation so that getting his mind right wasn't a tall order.

'He's always prepared himself so well on a daily basis and he's always been so competitive that really for him, it's just a matter of sticking with it when it's not going his way,' Jacobson said. 'There's some guys that struggle because they aren't willing to put the time in, and then you see a change. Then all of a sudden a guy understands he won't play if he doesn't put the time in. But with Wyatt it's never changed, he's always put time in. Continuing to do it when it wasn't going his way is what I'm most impressed with. Not surprised, with him, but impressed.'

Jacobson said he and Lohaus did sit down after the Hawaii trip to go over the film and 'all his plays,' to break it all down.

There were times when he was in for Washpun at the point, and UNI (16-12, 8-7 MVC) was still running its offense primarily out of the high ball screen initiation, where Lohaus looked sped up and uncomfortable. Though it might've appeared as if he was trying to play like Washpun in those mistakes, he said that wasn't really the case.

Jacobson's shift of the Panthers' offense into more motion and ball movement was music to Lohaus' ears.

'I don't know if there was pressure to play like Wes as much as it was me wanting to succeed at whatever I was doing,' Lohaus said. 'I put a lot of pressure on myself to make plays when plays weren't there. I'm more comfortable in the motion offense — it's what I played in high school and stuff. But I think it's been good for the team, not just me.'

Lohaus' time as the man with the ball in his hands every play is coming. As he continues to grow into the college game, what he's learning along the way is, he hopes, continuously building up to a point where he can take the reins from Washpun and keep the Panthers rolling. Having a former NBA player in the house doesn't hurt, and he's gone to his dad for advice many times.

He's gone through a losing streak, extended stretches of individual frustration and back all for really the first time. The lessons producing results for one of UNI's few bench players is a key factor in how far the Panthers will extend this season.

'(Losing) was something that was pretty new to me, but it's good for me because it's an experience that everyone goes through at some point. Learning how to deal with it will help you in the long run,' Lohaus said. '(Dad told me) two things. One, keep your confidence high, no matter what's happening. The other, would be to keep working. No matter what situation you're, no matter if you're struggling or just had the best game of the season, keep putting the work in because good things come to those who work hard.'

UNI hosts Illinois State on Saturday at 3 p.m. in McLeod Center.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com