Caleb Lohner Finds New Big 12 Home Out Of Transfer Portal
Apr 22, 2022, 8:51 PM | Updated: 11:12 pm
Former BYU basketball forward Caleb Lohner is transferring to Baylor. Courtesy of BYU Photo
SALT LAKE CITY – Former BYU basketball forward Caleb Lohner has a new home. The new home will be a program that BYU will get familiar with very soon in the Big 12 Conference.
Lohner announced on Friday night that he is committed to the Baylor Bears.
“SIC EM! So excited & blessed to be joining the Baylor family,” wrote Lohner on Twitter.
SIC ‘EM! So excited & blessed to be joining the Baylor family!🐻🟢🟡 pic.twitter.com/GZ9QyI2xOB
— Caleb Lohner (@caleblohner) April 23, 2022
Lohner joins a Baylor program coming off a 27-7 season overall that resulted in receiving a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears, coached by Scott Drew, lost in the NCAAs to National Runner-Up North Carolina in the Round of 32.
Lohner picked Baylor over Utah and UCLA.
In the 2021 season, Baylor took down Gonzaga to claim the school’s first National Championship.
BYU joins the Big 12 Conference beginning in the 2023-24 season. Lohner has up to three years of college eligibility remaining.
A native of Dallas, Texas, who concluded his prep career at Wasatch Academy in Utah, Lohner has been part of the BYU basketball program since 2020. On Thursday, Lohner hinted at his Texas landing spot by posting a picture of Whataburger on his personal Instagram stories feed.
Over the past two seasons, Lohner averaged 7 points per game and was an elite rebounder for BYU, averaging 6.8 boards in his first two seasons. Coming into his sophomore season, Lohner was tabbed as a preseason All-WCC performer. Unfortunately, he didn’t live up to those expectations as he experienced struggles with his game on the offensive end.
The struggles led to Lohner going to the bench for four games before returning to the starting lineup. He experienced a revival in his play on the offensive end during BYU’s NIT run to the Quarterfinals, headlined by a 20-point performance against Long Beach State.
“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,” wrote Lohner in a farewell post earlier this week.
Lohner is an immense talent. Coming out of high school, BYU’s previous coaching staff led by Dave Rose compared Lohner to NBA forward Gordon Hayward for how smooth of a shooting stroke Lohner has in his game. If he rediscovers that again, he could be a key piece to another deep NCAA run for Baylor.
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.
