Ben Panner will return for his senior season with the Thunder men's basketball team for the 2009-10 season as he works toward a Master's Degree. Ben transferred to Wheaton in 2006-07 after attending University of Texas (Austin) in 2005-06. He has started each of Wheaton's 86 games over the past three seasons and will enter his senior season tied for 36th in the Wheaton record books in scoring with 1,022 career points and 11th all-time in three-pointers with 121.
Below is a an interview with Ben.
Q: You received your Bachelor’s Degree in May in Business and Economics. What will you be studying in the upcoming year?
A: I will be pursuing a Master’s degree in Christian Formation and Ministry. It is an opportunity to grow in my faith in Jesus Christ and learn to help others grow and mature in their Christian journey.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about your decision to come back and use your final year of eligibility for the 2009-10 season, despite graduating in May of 2009?
A: Wheaton is a special place. I have been blessed in many ways by the basketball team but in all honesty I thought I was finished with basketball at the end of last season. However, with time and wise counsel, I had a strong sense that it was best for me to come back. I am excited to be a part of the basketball team and the Wheaton community for another year. I believe we have a lot of potential this year and I expect good things for our team.
Q: What will you miss the most about playing for coach Harris?
A: Coach Harris is a man of strong convictions which rubs off on his players. Coach Harris has a gift for developing young men into leaders. His impact goes far beyond the game of basketball. The thing that I will miss the most is the way that he challenged us in our faith in Jesus Christ and stressed the importance of discipline, integrity, and humility in our daily lives.
Q: What is your favorite basketball memory so far in your time at Wheaton?
A: One of my favorite memories with the team was making it to the Elite Eight in 2008. We snuck into the tournament and nobody thought that we would do anything but we rallied together and made our way to the Elite Eight which is as far as Wheaton has been in many years.
Q: Your brother Jon is in the grad school at Wheaton and has served as an assistant basketball coach. What has it been like having your brother as a coach in the program?
A: My brother Jon has a great basketball mind. Mixed with his competitive personality, he is at a good starting point for becoming a college coach. He has a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow under Coach Harris, Nate Frank, Owen Handy, and now Coach Schauer. I am happy for him and am glad I get to be a part of something with my brother who I am so close with.
