CEDAR FALLS - Wes Washpun and Matt MacDougall looked sharp in their University of Northern Iowa warmup suits Saturday afternoon.

They sat next to each other on the UNI bench as the Panthers rolled by Wartburg, 103-50, in the season opener at the McLeod Center.

Washpun and MacDougall are being redshirted, so all they could do was watch and cheer for their teammates as the Panthers eclipsed 100 points for the first time since 1997.

They play their games in practice, where they push their teammates on a daily basis and work to improve their own skills.

Washpun, a 2011 Cedar Rapids Washington grad, transferred to Northern Iowa this season after spending one year at Tennessee. He has to redshirt due to NCAA Division I transfer rules.

MacDougall, a 2012 Prairie grad, is being redshirted to give him a chance to get stronger and work on his game.

Northern Iowa Coach Ben Jacobson likes both players.

"Wes has a great personality, outgoing and has a smile on his face," the coach said after the Panthers beat the Knights by 53 points. "He's very, very competitive. And that's helped us a lot in practice.

"When you're redshirting, that's a hard thing to do every day. Wes does it each and every day.

"Next year when he's eligible, I would say he's going to be more competitive and more anxious," Jacobson remarked. "So we look forward to that. He's very talented and makes a lot of plays at both ends."

Washpun, a 6-foot-1 point guard with tremendous athletic ability, averaged 18 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3.7 steals and 2.1 blocks as a senior at Washington. He and Josh Oglesby, now a sophomore at Iowa, gave the Warriors a potent 1-2 punch during their careers before heading off to college.

Washpun appeared in 17 games at Tennessee last season, but played in only four SEC contests and decided to leave.

"Some stuff happened back here (in Iowa) along with stuff that was happening down there," he said, without being specific. "I felt it was best for me and my family if I got back home."

Washpun, 19, went to Tennessee with high hopes. He played 81 straight minutes in six games in November and December without commmitting any turnovers, but spent most of the conference season on the bench.

He wrestled with his decision and decided to leave.

"It was a little bit hard, but everything happens for a reason, I feel like," he said. "I feel like I have a new home here at UNI and it's a great place to be. I love the coaches and the team.

"I feel like we have a chance to do something pretty special."

Washpun will have three years of eligibility with the Panthers, beginning next season.

MacDougall, a 6-4 guard, enrolled at UNI this year as a recruited walk-on. He was hoping Jacobson would offer him a spot on the team and was delighted when it happened last spring.

"It's crazy. I'm just living a dream," he said. "I'm working every day, trying to get better. And hopefully sometime down the road I'll become a starter.

"That's my dream, to get a lot of playing time. Every day I push toward that goal."

MacDougall, 18, averaged 15 points at Prairie last season and made third team all-state. He was a member of the National Honor Society in high school and might want to major in biology at UNI.

MacDougall has gained 10 pounds since he arrived in Cedar Falls in August, climbing from a skinny 170 to a stronger 180.

"It helps a lot," he said. "It makes a huge difference. I want to get to 195 or possibly 200. I think my body can handle it."

Northern Iowa has a history of giving walk-ons a chance to develop and then have good careers as five-year members of the program.

"Matt MacDougall is off to a good start," Jacobson said. "I talked to him earlier this week about maintaining that high level of competitiveness and not backing down from situations in practice. He's going to be a good player."

There is a strong Metro flavor on the UNI basketball team this season. Matt Bohannon, a redshirt freshman from Linn-Mar, started at guard for the Panthers Saturday and scored 11 points with a pair of 3-pointers. Max Martino, a 6-5 sophomore, played 21 minutes as a reserve and is attending college on an academic scholarship.

Washpun and MacDougall both knew they wouldn't play this season, although that could change in MacDougall's case if the Panthers need help in the backcourt.

"It's definitely tough, but you get to step back and actually see the game and watch the game instead of having to play it all the time," Washpun said. "You learn a lot of different things and get your body prepared and improve your skills."

Jacobson loves giving the ball to Washpun in practice and letting him run the scout team. He said Washpun has the ability to drive past defenders and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He's also a good on-ball defender.

"It definitely has to be my role to push all the guys and make sure they're prepared for every opportunity they face," Washpun said. "I just try to push them as hard as I can so they're ready when game-time comes."