Caleb Lohner Describes Decision To Enter Transfer Portal As ‘Very Difficult’
Apr 19, 2022, 11:52 AM
Brigham Young Cougars forward Caleb Lohner (33) grabs a rebound away from Long Beach State 49ers guard Colin Slater (14) during an NIT game at the Marriott Center in Provo on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball forward Caleb Lohner made it official; he’s in the Transfer Portal.
The 6-foot-8, 235-pound prospect shared a farewell message on social media describing his move into the portal. Lohner is the fifth BYU basketball player this off-season to go into the portal after the Cougars completed a 24-11 season that fell far short of the NCAA Tournament aspirations they had as late as mid-January.
— Caleb Lohner (@caleblohner) April 19, 2022
Caleb Lohner announces he’s entering the Transfer Portal
“After deep introspection and extensive consultation with my coaches, family, and advisors, I have decided to leave BYU and have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal,” Lohner wrote.
“This has been a very difficult decision for me, but I believe it is the right one for me at this time. I have loved BYU, will always be a Cougar, and will remember my time here fondly. I am also extraordinarily grateful to Cougar Nation, to all of my coaches, teammates, to the athletic department, and to the university for two terrific years that have not only been filled with awesome experiences but have also made me a better person.
“While I don’t know exactly what the future will hold, I am excited and optimistic and look forward to figuring out what is next. In line with my life view, I intend to find joy in the process.”
Lohner’s college career to this point
A former three-star recruit from Wasatch Academy via Dallas, Texas, Lohner started in 44 games the past two seasons for BYU. During his first year at BYU, he was selected to the All-WCC Men’s Basketball freshman team that also included Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs on that five-man squad.
Where Lohner’s next stop is unknown, much speculation has centered around the University of Utah, which has hired former BYU assistant Chris Burgess. Lohner’s initial letter of intent was signed to play for Utah out of high school before he got out of that LOI to play at BYU.
But coming out of high school, Lohner held scholarship offers from numerous Big 12 programs headlined by the Baylor Bears coached by Scott Drew.
Entering his sophomore season at BYU, Lohner was tabbed as a preseason All-WCC first-team selection. But it became more challenging to achieve those lofty expectations as BYU became a much smaller team without the likes of Matt Haarms and Kolby Lee. Then things got more tricky when Gavin Baxter and Richard Harward were out with season-ending injuries.
Going into training camp last September, Lohner was getting minutes as a center in BYU’s rotation. But he was slotted to play the four primarily. Moving from the three appeared to significantly impact Lohner’s game on the offensive end as he dipped to 21.3% from three and 42.2% from the field, averaging seven points per game.
Despite the struggles on the offensive end, Lohner made his impact in games for BYU on the defensive end, especially rebounding the basketball. Lohner averaged 6.4 rebounds per game during his sophomore season.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
