Bohannon leaving his mark on UNI

CEDAR FALLS — What kind of mark did you leave? That's the question so many four- or five-year athletes ask themselves when they're done with college sports — done putting themselves through hell in search of a common goal.

Was it stats and success? Was it hard work? Was it emotion?

It's easy to point to the former — that much requires only an online search. The latter two are the result of what happens when no one is watching. The combination of on-court success with driving your teammates to higher highs, all while forming lasting bonds that will never be broken are the reason college sports exist.

When Matt Bohannon leaves Northern Iowa after his senior season this year, he hopes it's all three. His coach, his teammates and his brothers know it will be.

Matt Bohannon is from a family Eastern Iowa knows pretty darn well.

The third child of former Iowa quarterback Gordy Bohannon and fellow Iowa grad Brenda, Matt only really ever knew competition. His oldest brother Jason, second brother Zach and youngest brother Jordan have all been tremendously successful, and each have contributed to — and substantially impacted — a rich basketball tradition at Linn-Mar.

Jason's time at Wisconsin yielded four trips to the NCAA Tournament — once the Sweet 16 — and a Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year award. Zach, who transferred to Wisconsin from Air Force, played in two NCAA Tournaments with the Badgers and went to a Final Four in 2013-14. Now Jordan is leading Linn-Mar — fresh off a 40-point game on Dec. 18 against Cedar Rapids Prairie — and will play at Iowa next year.

Throw in Matt's Missouri Valley Conference title and trip to the NCAA Tournament last year, and that's a whole lot of success for one set of brothers.

'It doesn't happen very often. You see some, like the Korvers, that have had a lot play, but to have four in a row and be pretty successful, there's probably not too many out there and it's something we're very happy about,' Matt said. 'It's a big deal. It's kind of the reason why I'm doing it. If my oldest brother Jason didn't do what he did and start off the family tradition, I can't say I'd be doing the same thing I am today. It meant a whole lot to see him work as hard as he can; work for something really big and do what he did at Linn-Mar to kind of turn that program around and win a state championship.

'He and Zach kind of taught me the ropes and the work ethic needed to get to this next level. And now I try to do it myself to mentor my little brother. It's been a full circle for us and something we're very proud of.'

The image that comes to mind with four brothers who all play hoops is one of the perfect two-on-two game in the driveway on holidays.

But that's not really the case with the Bohannons — on orders from Brenda. They were just far enough spread out in age in their youth, that it didn't pan out, and despite the fact they're now all old enough to compete, it hasn't happened yet.

To a man, though, Jason, Zach and Matt each couldn't decide who would play with who in this hypothetical game. They each said it wouldn't matter, either.

'My mom always said when we went to the gym we couldn't play because someone would get hurt,' Matt said through laughter. 'We don't play, because Jason's too old for that — a little too slow. Zach's way too tall, he can't guard any of us. I don't like to play Jordan because he always gets a little mad at me and says I beat up on him too much.

'That's not really a fair question (who would be on what team) because any team I'm on is going to win. I don't even know how we'd separate it.'

The trash talk isn't short when the brothers start talking about each other.

When Zach and Matt were at Linn-Mar, they played Ames High in the 2009 Class 4A state title game — with NBA players Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott as counterparts. Down the stretch of that game was a crucial turnover in which Zach passed to Matt, and the ball went out of bounds.

They can joke about it now, but have two distinct recollections about what exactly happened.

'I was able to play with Zach and we joke about it all the time,' Matt said with a smile. 'We can talk about how he threw the ball off my leg in the state championship against Harrison and Doug and we lost it because of that play. No, obviously just kidding about that.'

Zach's version?

'We still talk about it a lot,' Zach said. 'I still give him jabs about, 'Remember when I passed it to you and you kicked it out of bounds in the state championship against Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott?' We get a good laugh around the dinner table about that.'

Anecdotes aside, the sibling rivalry without a doubt sparked the competitive fire in Matt and has gone a long way toward who he is now.

With his two older brothers removed from the grind — and Jason now helping work out Jordan to prepare him for the Big Ten — they can watch and admire what Matt has done and is doing with the Panthers.

They're as tied to his success as their own, and if you follow either Jason or Zach on Twitter, UNI game days tell that tale. They see what kind of player and person he's become, and it makes them proud. Through recruiting and decision making, they've helped him with lessons that have been invaluable.

'It's a lot of fun to watch. Matt's always worked very hard and everything he does he deserves because he works harder than anyone out on the basketball floor,' Jason said. 'I always tried to let them make their own decisions and things like that — just like our dad was — so we didn't push him in any which way.

'Hopefully he's had a huge impact. He's developed a lot as a leader. … It's neat being able to see his full package of things he's able to do.'

When history looks back on Matt Bohannon at UNI, it likely won't look at him as the most vital member of the Panthers in any of his five years on the roster.

But that's because history is most often in black and white.

Matt became the career leader in 3-pointers made on Tuesday night in a loss to Hawaii, sinking his 204th career 3-pointer and passing Ben Jacobson (the player). He was a key contributor to a team that won 31 games last year, won the MVC Tournament and won a game in the NCAA Tournament. He's a key contributor on this year's team and was vital on both ends of the floor in wins against No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Iowa State.

When people — and not just record books — remember him, though, it's going to be about anything but numbers.

'His work ethic — there's only a handful of guys who have put in that kind of time,' said his coach, Ben Jacobson. 'He figured out when he was young that he would have to work at it if he was going to beat his brothers and do well at Linn-Mar. That work ethic he's brought to our program has been great for all of us.

'He'll always talk about last year and now we'll see what happens this year. Those are the things he's talked to me about. That and — I've told the story enough times — him coming in and shooting at 5 or 6 in the morning, shooting 500 shots. Our fans know that story. He'll always be known as the guy who put in that much time. Those are two pretty good things.'

That's among the things his brothers are most proud of, too, when they talk about him.

That Matt is the only of the three who didn't end up at a Big Ten school couldn't be more irrelevant to the four of them — or their parents. It might make for some good-natured ribbing, but ultimately the success he's seen at UNI, and the person he's become because he came to UNI, were what mattered.

Maybe there's a little bit of a chip on his shoulder because Iowa and Iowa State didn't want him. Matt said, 'It's still something where I found my place. In UNI, I couldn't have found a better fit. It was the right place for me. … They can talk about all that, media can talk about Big Ten this or mid-major that, but it's all about your fit. I don't think I could've fit anywhere else.'

Regardless of where he went or how quickly he came along, the process to get where he is shaped him.

'He's shot more shots than any of us Bohannons have ever shot — and that's saying a lot — in off-season workouts. He's really improved overall,' Zach said. 'I think Northern Iowa stole him. He definitely could've been a Big Ten player at Iowa or wherever, but he was just a year behind maturity-wise (in high school). He showed that when he got to Northern Iowa. … He's worked his butt off and shown how successful he can be.

'It says a lot about his unselfishness and integrity that he's stuck it out and done whatever's best for the betterment of the team. He really took that step forward as a leader last year, and players around him rallied around him. He's been a phenomenal leader for that group.'

When the clock hits 0:00 at the end of this season — whenever and wherever that is — it's going to be incredibly difficult for Matt to take off that No. 5 jersey for the final time.

Not just because it will be the end of the road, and that's hard for any college athlete, but because he worked as hard, or harder, than anyone who wore 'UNI' on their chest. His brothers know it. His coach knows it. His fans know it.

'I've left my mark here as a kid who works hard, is in the gym all the time, trying to be a leader and just kind of push everyone,' Matt said. 'We (Bohannons) do the right things, on and off the court. We work extremely hard and try to be good people around the community — give back and things like that. We worked hard and gave it our all.

'I'm a guy that's a winner and competitive. I want to win at all costs, whether that's shooting one time a game or 10 times a game. I just want to get the job done. I just want to leave my mark by my example more than anything.'

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