In today’s age of the NCAA transfer portal, college basketball has changed dramatically. UNI men’s basketball has been no exception, as the team lost and gained several members this past spring. Though the new-look Panthers have had a rocky start to the season, there have been many moments and players worth getting excited for, like newcomer Ben Schwieger. Hailing from the Chicago suburb of Aurora, the redshirt junior joined the Panthers this past summer after transferring from Loyola where he spent his first three seasons. After beginning the season as the Panthers’ sixth man, Schwieger is now a starter and hopes to aid UNI as they enter the thick of the season.
For as long as Schwieger can remember, basketball has been a part of his life. His father, Sam, was a walk-on at the University of Iowa in 1988, which Schwieger mentioned is where he “got his basketball genes”. Being the youngest of three siblings, Schwieger grew up watching his older brother, Dan, actively participate in athletics and cites the impact it had on his career. In third grade, he began participating in AAU clubs for basketball and stuck with it ever since.
In high school, he was a volleyball player and gives credit to the sport for his athletic ability on the basketball court, such as his quick reaction time and two-foot jumping abilities. However, he viewed the sport as a “hobby” for himself and began to focus on playing college basketball in high school.
Schwieger earned Player of the Year honors in his senior season from the local newspaper and was named second-team all-state. In his junior year, he would earn all-conference, area, county and state accolades and was ranked in the top 10 prospects in the Chicago area.
Recruiting began the summer after his sophomore year, as Schwieger earned interest. Schools in the Missouri Valley, as well as schools in California and on the east coast. In the end, Schwieger opted to stay home and attend the University of Loyola-Chicago to play at the division one level.
“Loyola checked off all my boxes,” said Schwieger, “I liked the culture the staff was creating there…and the recent success of 2018 going to the final four.” Loyola’s momentum in the late 2010s played a big role in Schwieger’s decision to play for the Ramblers, as he hoped to contribute to the program’s success in his career.
After redshirting his freshman year, he would start 26 games for the Ramblers in his second, where he would be named to the Atlantic 10 Rookie team after averaging 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. In his third year, his role became smaller as he played in 10 games in non-conference play. After that season, he decided to enter the portal.
“I had a good first year, but my second year there wasn’t room for me to contribute”, stated Schwieger, “It was a decision by the coaches, and sometimes it just works out that way”. Wanting to make the most out of his college career, he wanted to go to a winning program where he could contribute. He ended up coming to Northern Iowa, where he found a role where he could play and help the team for his last two seasons.
The Panthers’ season so far has been riddled with ups and downs, with quality wins over UW Milwaukee, University of Illinois-Chicago and Northern Illinois, but also multiple losses early which has resulted in a 5-4 record as of Dec 10. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they lost starting point guard RJ Taylor to an Achilles injury in their game against UIC, forcing the team to maneuver lineup changes. With Schwieger being the “next man up,” he made his first start against Northern Illinois as junior guard Trey Campbell took over at the point.
“It’s been a little rocky”, said Schwieger on the season so far, “But I think that’s a part of finding out our new team”. With the team now starting two first-year Panthers in Leon Bond III and Schwieger, chemistry is still being created on the court.
“Half of the team is new … we’re still trying to figure out how to mesh with each other well, it’ll all click as the season goes on.”
With a dominating win over Northern Illinois this past Saturday, the Panthers showed how good they can be when the chemistry clicks.
Schwieger has goals for this team in his last two seasons of college, the biggest of which being an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
“March Madness is the overall mission,” said Schwieger, “But on the way is regular season champs and a 20-win season.” Individually, Schwieger’s goals include making a conference team, finding out what his role is, and “playing it as best as he can.”
“Whether that becomes starting or be a six-man, fewer minutes or more rebounding … whatever the coaches need, if I can fill that and make everyone happy and we’re all having fun doing it, that’s the ideal situation.”
After college, Schwieger wants to work in digital media production, creating content for teams as it would provide him an opportunity to stay around the sport of basketball and use his creative side to produce video for a team. Schwieger still holds playing professional basketball as his most desired future, not minding wherever he would have to travel for the opportunity.
Until then, Schwieger still has two more seasons to play at UNI, where he looks to cement his legacy both on and off the court as a player and as a person.
“With my game, I want to be remembered as versatile, someone who can stretch the floor who can shoot and go dunk on somebody,” said Schwieger, “A jack of all trades type of player.”
But outside of his play, Schwieger emphasizes his desire to do more than what is seen on the stat sheet and box score.
“I want to bring energy and good vibes for the team and arena and get the fans involved, that’s how I want to be remembered.”
Schwieger and the Panthers will head into their conference schedule after winter break, where they will look to accomplish the goals they have set for themselves for this year. Though it will be a test with the injuries and adjustments they have had to make early in the season, Schwieger believes this team has a high ceiling and is excited to see how they build on each other this year.
