Time and time again, a player’s college career often comes down to their fit with their team. The lure of a major conference school may sound impressive, but often the place where a player can flourish can be found anywhere, even if it’s not where you started. For Northern Iowa’s Wes Washpun, coming home to Iowa made all the difference.
After starting his career at Tennessee, the 6’1 point guard, a Cedar Rapids native, knew that a return to Iowa was going to best for him long-term. “I knew it would be better for me to be closer to my family, closer to home,” said Washpun. “Northern Iowa had recruited me out of high school, so I was very familiar, and I already knew a lot of guys on the roster.”
And he was right, as Washpun had a tremendous three-year career at Northern Iowa. As a junior, he was the Missouri Valley Conference’s (MVC) Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 7.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, on 49 percent shooting from the field, and almost 40 percent from three-point range, as Northern Iowa was one of the nation’s top teams. The Panthers won 31 games, received a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and made it to the round of 32.
Expectations were high for Washpun as a senior, and he delivered again. On his way to being named Second Team All-MVC, Washpun posted an impressive 14.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game, shooting almost 47 percent from the field, and strong 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the MVC Tournament, leading the Panthers to another NCAA Tournament berth.
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Looking back on his time at Northern Iowa, Washpun has a great appreciation for his experience, and how it helped him to grow as a person and player. “As a person, I really grew up, in general, on and off the court,” said Washpun. “I learned about taking care of my business.”
“On the court, I definitely improved my feel for the game,” explained Washpun. “I was raw coming out of high school, but always had a good work ethic. Learning how to break down and read defenses was also an important part of my development.”
Washpun gives a lot of credit for his development to Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson. “Coach Jacobson has that ability to relate to players,” said Washpun. “He can relate to every guy on the team, and he lets you be yourself on the court, as long as you go out and play defense.”
After Washpun hit a buzzer-beater to give the Panthers a win over Evansville in the Missouri Valley Conference title game, he had 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in an opening round NCAA Tournament game against Texas, setting up a second round match-up against Texas A&M.
With 58 seconds left in regulation, Northern Iowa had a 10-point lead over the Aggies, when the unthinkable happened. A 14-4 run by Texas A&M tied the game, which the Aggies went on to win in two overtimes. Though not the way he wanted his college career to end, Washpun was still able to take some big lessons away from the experience.
“The game was definitely a disappointment, but makes you appreciate the little things that need to happen on the floor,” Washpun said. “I won’t undervalue the little things, like taking the ball out of bounds, again.”
Washpun was then invited to the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where he averaged 9 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds per game, while hitting 10 out of his 14 field goal attempts over three games.
After his impressive showing at Portsmouth, Washpun has been taking advantage of more opportunities to show NBA teams what he can do, knowing which parts of his game make a big impression. “I think my athleticism really stands out,” explained Washpun. “Also, I can go out and defend at a really high level.”
During physical and athletic testing at Portsmouth, Washpun posted some impressive numbers, including a 36.5 inch no-step vertical leap, and measuring an impressive near-6’7 wingspan for his size.
Washpun has also taken this opportunity to address some areas of his game that he knows need work for the next level. “The biggest thing is shooting the NBA-range three, and I’ve been sharpening this up,” said Washpun. “Teams have been surprised at how well I’ve been able to shoot so far.”
As the start of his pro career comes near, Washpun has a good idea of where he can make a difference quickly for a team. “I can go out there as a defender and stopping the other team’s point guard, something I take extreme pride in,” said Washpun. “Plus, I have experience running the pick-and-roll, and the athletic ability to get into the paint and create.”
Washpun has already worked out for Atlanta, Memphis, Utah, and Denver, with Minnesota and more coming up. He will have 10 to 12 workouts in total.
He knows there is a lot of competition for the coveted NBA roster spots, but Washpun knows he has what it takes to make an impact for a team.
“I’m an easy guy to get along with, and a good teammate, but I’m competitive, and I hate to lose,” said Washpun. “Every time I get on the floor, I’m going to give it my all, no matter what is asked of me.”
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