Norchad Omier's late November benching was what those on the outside saw.
Two days after Morehead State waxed Arkansas State University 75-51 on the Red Wolves' home floor, ASU Coach Mike Balado didn't start his standout sophomore forward against Missouri-Kansas City.
Far more significant than Omier coming off the bench that afternoon, however, was a meeting he had with his coach around the same time.
"I was trying not to think about basketball because I didn't want it to get in my head, and then I lost focus at the same time," Omier recalled. "[Coach Balado] expects more from me. He sees I can be better, he knows I can get better [and] that just motivates me."
Expectations coming into the 2021-22 season could not have been much higher for Omier. The reigning Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and first-team league honoree was named the conference's Preseason Player of the Year. And the Red Wolves were projected to finish in the top half of the league -- something they hadn't done since the 2016-17 campaign.
The early results were clunkers. Four points at Illinois, fouling out in just 14 minutes while up against All-American Kofi Cockburn. Three of five games with eight or fewer rebounds. Early fouls that sent him to the bench quickly in nearly every game.
"He is a phenomenal kid," Balado said in November. "He's humble and works hard ... and I think it's just teaching him to not let that [notoriety] get to him."
Quietly, Omier turned his season around.
Eight double-doubles in nine games -- the lone exception being a road contest at No. 18 Texas Tech and three conference player of the week awards in four weeks followed. A defensive rebound rate (31.3%) that's seventh nationally and an offensive rebound rate (16.5%) that's 14th stand out.
Those numbers are slightly down from last year when Omier finished at 33.8% and 16.6%, good for second and sixth, respectively.
But the Bluefields, Nicaragua, native is doing that while upping his points from 12.6 per game to 16.6
"His dominance ... has given the opportunity for other guys to get open looks," Balado said earlier this month. "Everyone is so worried about Norchad when he has the ball and keeping the ball out of his hands."
The Red Wolves have five other players averaging at least 5.0 points per game, with Desi Sills leading that group at nearly 14 points a night. Four players are shooting 34.6% or better from three-point distance.
ASU (11-4, 2-1 Sun Belt) has won seven of its last nine, nearly escaping Lafayette, La., with an eighth victory that would've kept the Red Wolves perfect in conference play.
Omier did all he could that night in the Cajundome, going for 29 points and 17 rebounds -- a continuation of his scorching recent run. Since averaging a solid 12.0 points and 8.5 boards in November, the 6-7, 230-pounder has posted an otherworldly 19.7 points and 12.4 rebounds with 2.8 blocks per game.
He's also just one of 11 players in the country averaging a double-double for the season, along with the likes of Cockburn and Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe.
"I don't have to settle," Omier said. "As a basketball player, this is my mentality. If I see I can do this, I like to keep pushing to see if there's another level, more stuff I can do. I'm just greedy to learn because there's always another level."
There were opportunities for Omier to take himself to a different level last offseason. Going pro was a possibility, but there was also the option to transfer to a high-major program.
Instead, he stuck with Balado and ASU, the program that made him the first Nicaraguan to ever play Division I basketball.
And as the Red Wolves try to carry this successful stretch of play through the remainder of conference play, Omier wants to ensure his team gets the payoff for all ASU has given him.
"My family's not here, so the team is my family and the coaches are my parents," he said. "This program is not just about basketball. They want to make you a better person also. ... It means a lot to me when the coaches reach out and see I have a lot more to show."