Strange isn't it how one athletes' career can reach unprecedented heights, then suddenly everything seems to vanish like black magic.

This season that magic has cast a dark spell on Jon Dietz.

Remember Dietz? He's the 6-foot-8-inch junior forward from Walcott, Iowa, with that boyish grin and midwestern accent. Last year, Dietz played a vital role off the bench and was selected the teams' Most Improved Player.

Now, 365 days later, all that success seems like it happened eons ago for Dietz because his performance on the hardwood hasn't been anything to grin about. In 17 games, he's averaged 0.7 points. And as the 21-7 Lions inch toward their fourth straight postseason tournament (NCAA bids come out March 15) Dietz is as far from Coach Bruce Parkhill's rotation as East Halls is from campus.

What's wrong with the once-promising junior who was an All-Iowa high school selection and a Street and Smith honorable-mention All-American?

"It's been a rough year," said Dietz sincerely. "I haven't played a whole lot this year. But I don't have anybody to blame but myself."

He now sits behind freshman Greg Bartram.

"When Greg started playing ahead of me, I lost a lot of confidence in myself," Dietz said. "When I was playing, I'd go in and shoot and they'd go in and out. Physically, my shot hasn't changed. It's just that I'd miss and try a little bit harder. You can't do that."

Parkhill understands.

"He's just had one of those off years," Parkhill said. "You never really know why a player slumps. We were really counting on Jon. He really got off to a bad start."

In November, Dietz and two other players became involved in a legal matter over a campus police radio.

"It really affected the way I played," Dietz said. "And then I lost some confidence in myself. You gotta believe in yourself as a player. If you don't, nobody else will."

Dietz has grown from the incident.

"Coach was really understanding," Dietz said. "I'm not making excuses for myself."

Dietz lives with his best friend and starting power forward Eric Carr. Carr has been very supportive of him.

"He got down on himself," Carr said. "I tell him to just go out and play every day. We're like brothers."

And in an ironic twist of fate, Dietz beat out Carr last year for the right to back up DeRon Hayes. Carr now starts while Dietz is just starting to come around.

"He's a leader on the white team in practice," Carr said. "He sets a good example for the younger players."

Next year, Dietz will get the chance to compete in the Big Ten. With Hayes, Bartram, Dietz and recruit Rahsaan Carlton, the small forward position could get crowded. Dietz however, intends to bounce back and contribute.

"I'm really looking forward to The Big Ten,"Dietz said. "I'm going to go home and work on my shot and lift some weights."