Dom Uhl’s quiet quest for consistency
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa – Dom Uhl took three hard dribbles to his left before launching a 3-point shot that swished through the net.
He then drained another trey on his team’s next possession.
However, that little flurry in the Prime Time League on Thursday was followed by Uhl shooting an air ball and then committing a turnover.
That for now is Dom Uhl in a nutshell.
A 6-foot-9 forward with diverse skills, Uhl is arguably the most talented player on the Iowa basketball team, but also the most inconsistent.
He can dazzle in one sequence and then look frazzled in the next sequence.
Changing that reputation is the challenge facing Uhl as he enters his junior season with the Hawkeyes.
Uhl is one of Iowa’s most experienced players despite having started just one game as a Hawkeye. He is being counted on to help ease the transition that comes with having to replace four senior starters.
“I’m just doing what I do, staying confident and playing hard every time,” Uhl said Thursday after scoring 20 points in a PTL playoff victory.
A native of Frankfurt, Germany, Uhl speaks softly, sometimes barely above a whisper. He usually gives short answers to the media, sometimes a one-word answer like yes or now. Uhl seems uncomfortable in the spotlight, but it’s likely to shine ever brighter with Uhl expected to play a more significant role as an upperclassmen.
“It felt like I was a freshman yesterday,” Uhl said.
Uhl’s greatest asset might be his versatility. He can play both forward positions and was even used some at center last season.
"He’s got a unique game," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said of Uhl, who grew up playing mostly soccer in Germany.
Uhl doesn’t seem to care where he plays on the basketball floor. His skills allow him to be comfortable on the perimeter and in the paint.
“Last season I played the five (center) and I had never really played there before so it was definitely new to me,” Uhl said. “I just play wherever coach wants me to play.”
Uhl has worked during the offseason with Iowa assistant coach Andrew Francis to improve his perimeter shot. With that training has come a slight change in Uhl’s mechanics.
“Just keeping my elbow in closer and getting good bounce,” said Uhl, who attended his final two years of high school in New Jersey.
Uhl sort of mirrors the team for which he plays. Both show promise, along with having concerns.
In one year, Iowa has gone from being the most experienced team in the Big Ten to now being one of the least experienced.
Nearly half of the squad will be first-year players with redshirt freshman shooting guard Isaiah Moss and five incoming freshmen on the roster.
“They’re all good guys,” Uhl said of the newcomers. They’re all talented.”
It’s reasonable to think that Uhl will have to perform well in order for Iowa to make the NCAA Tournament for a fourth consecutive season under McCaffery. Uhl’s days of being a role player are over. The team needs him to step up and meet the challenge.
And it starts with being more consistent.