As Dom Uhl stood at midcourt on Sunday, fans gave him a standing ovation accompanied by loud cheers as he was honored during the team’s Senior Night.
As deserving as the moment was for the senior who has stayed true to the Black and Gold, it was a reminder of how Uhl’s career as a Hawkeye has been a roller-coaster affair.
After a solid sophomore season that gave a glimpse of his potential, he struggled to find consistent playing time on a roster full of up-and-coming freshmen and sophomores.
His lack of playing time became even more apparent this season, as evidenced by his 4.6 minutes a game in just 16 contests, down from 14.6 minutes in 32 games last year.
Despite the lack of impact he has made on the court, Uhl has displayed senior leadership and remained a source of positivity for the young Hawkeye squad.
“He’s been able to [lead] since I got here,” freshman big man Luka Garza said. “The experience he’s had being here four years and on some of the great teams with some of the best players that ever played here, it shows. He’s always out there trying to help us and talking to us before the game. “
Interestingly enough, Uhl’s career has resembled that of Iowa’s past seasons. The 2015-16 year was one of the Hawkeyes’ best seasons in recent memory, as they rose as high as No. 3 in the AP Poll and strung together nine-consecutive wins, including victories over No. 1/No. 4 Michigan State and No. 14/No. 22 Purdue.
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It was also the best year of Uhl’s career. A legitimate 3-point threat his sophomore year, the Frankfurt, Germany, native shot 45 percent from behind the arc and averaged 6 points and 3.6 rebounds a game in just over 17 minutes of action.
But this season has been a down year for both parties. Iowa finished with a lackluster 13-18 record and a 4-14 mark the conference, while Uhl averages 0.3 points per game and 1.1 rebounds amid decreased playing time.
The success the Hawkeyes had in 2015-16 taught Uhl something about this year, when the team has struggled, and he is trying to pass that knowledge on.
“I just try to be there for the guys, whatever they need, just provide advice,” Uhl said. “I’ve been through a lot, so I just tell them it’s a long season, you just got to stay with it.”
In his final game in Carver-Hawkeye, Uhl got the start and was serenaded by cheers seemingly every time he touched the ball. He finished with 2 rebounds and 2 blocks in eight minutes of play, and his team got the win, 77-70, in the regular-season finale of Uhl’s Hawkeye career.
“Dom was good. Dom was really good,” head coach Fran McCaffery said. “He didn’t play like he was nervous. He shouldn’t have been, he’s a senior, he’s started before. He’s been a big factor on NCAA Tournament teams, so he accepted the challenge, and I thought he was terrific.”
An Enterprise Leadership major, Uhl hopes to play professionally for a few years in his home country of Germany before moving back to the United States.
The days as a Hawkeye are ticking for Uhl, who will walk across the stage and receive a diploma in May. But until then, he’ll remain a leader for a team he has given four years of work to.
