Ben Schwieger is in the final weeks of his college basketball career, hoping for one last chance to experience the madness of March. His basketball journey has not always been a smooth one, but he has found a home with the University of Northern Iowa, where he has averaged ten points and five rebounds per game over the past two seasons. This Where Are They Now segment is presented by Grow Sports Psychology.
Before working his way into the starting lineup for the Panthers, Schwieger was a showstopping sensation for both the Waubonsie Valley basketball and volleyball teams.
A two-sport standout in green and gold
A difference-maker in multiple sports starting with his sophomore season, Schwieger first came to prominence with the Warrior basketball team, delivering a sharp-shooting stroke and high-flying dunks for the 2019 regional champions. While his involvement in volleyball was not originally a long-term plan, his 6’8 size and athleticism proved just as valuable on the volleyball court.
“Starting off in volleyball. I had no other reason than it was fun in eighth-grade gym class. So, freshman year, I decided to just try out for the team and just see where it went. So I got a couple buddies to go try out, and then throughout the year, the coaches just kind of moved me up to the sophomore team, to JV, to varsity. And it seemed like I was doing pretty good and I had a lot of fun doing it. So I just stuck with it. And yeah, there is a lot of overlap. I feel like, with volleyball and basketball, you know, I think a lot of the footwork translates, getting your feet right, approaching for a hit and for a block, playing off instinct, knowing where they’re going to set it. Trying to anticipate. And I think that translates over to basketball, too,” said Waubonsie Valley alum Ben Schwieger.
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out his junior volleyball season and all but ten games of his senior basketball season. Despite the limited opportunity to compete, he was still named a Second Team All-State selection in 2021, averaging over 17 points and eight rebounds per game.
While he enjoyed volleyball enough to return to the program for his senior year that spring, earning the 2021 DVC Player of the Year award, he knew that basketball was his future, committing to play collegiately close to home at Loyola-Chicago under head coach and Naperville native Porter Moser.
Schwieger still feels a sense of pride in the positive mark he and his teammates left on a basketball program that has continued to flourish.
“It definitely feels nice to just be a part of something bigger. Being a part of that story of Waubonsie. Having that history of winning, and just trying to continue that legacy. That’s definitely something to hang your hat on,” said Ben Schwieger.
Moser took the head coaching position at the University of Oklahoma before Ben’s freshman season, but he remained committed to the Ramblers and the new head coach, Drew Valentine.
Competing in college with hometown ties
After redshirting his first season, which saw Loyola win the Missouri Valley Conference and qualify for the NCAA tournament, Schwieger stepped into the spotlight as a redshirt freshman, starting over 25 games and being named to the 2023 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team.
But the 2023-24 season was a different story. Despite finishing in a tie for first in the Atlantic 10, Schwieger fell out of the rotation and decided to transfer for his final two collegiate seasons.
A fresh start with Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa gave him a chance, and the former Warrior took advantage, working his way into the starting lineup over the past two years with the Panthers. In that time, Schwieger has scored over 500 points for a team that qualified for the 2025 NIT. As a fifth-year senior, he is able to share all he has learned with the younger players on the roster.
“It’s a little harder, especially when you’re a younger guy on the team. To try and lead a little bit more and be a little more vocal because you don’t know if you have that exact authority or not, because you’re in your first or second year. But it definitely feels a lot nicer being in your fourth or fifth year, to try and lead all these guys, even though I might not exactly feel like a real older guy. I’ll always joke around with the freshmen. They call me ‘Unc’ and stuff. I’m like, I’m not that old dude. Stop calling me ‘Unc’! But yeah, it’s awesome,” said Schwieger.
With the MVC tournament approaching and potential opportunities to continue his hoops career at the professional level on the horizon, Ben Schwieger remains focused on making the most of each day he has left with the Panthers.
“I was just at dinner with my parents the other night after the game, and we were kind of talking a little bit about that, and, you know, I do tell myself just one game at a time. And I think that kind of keeps me grounded. But, reality is about to hit real quick. We are getting to our last game, our last conference games on Sunday, and then we’re off to Saint Louis for Arch Madness and the conference tournament. And then, you know, you never know where it goes from there, but, you know, you just got to keep telling yourself one game at a time, one day at a time, and just keep putting in the reps and practice and just trust the work,” said Schwieger.
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