Zach Hanson (#40 / F / 6-9 / 240 lbs / So.)
Zach Hanson played 123 minutes as a freshman (WBR/Adam Streur) $ CLICK TO BUY $
If Creighton outperforms outsiders’ preseason expectations, Zach Hanson will be a major reason why. Last season, the true freshman watched as Greg McDermott’s team excelled playing deadly accurate small ball. Doug McDermott played seemingly every minute of every game. Ethan Wragge gave way to Will Artino, the first big off the bench. And Hanson spent day after day practicing against a future college hoops hall of famer, seeing scattered minutes in games.
Hanson played 11 minutes against both Alcorn State and UMKC to start the 2013-14 season; he didn’t see double-digit playing time again until late March. Hanson played a season-high 13 minutes in Creighton’s NCAA Tournament game against Baylor. Jays fans would have preferred to see him in during mop-up duty, with Creighton finally advancing to modern day Sweet 16. Instead, Hanson ran the court in San Antonio while fellow forwards McDermott and Wragge passed the torch.
Artino, a redshirt senior, will likely start. Hanson will battle oft-injured Geoffrey Groselle to be the first big off the bench. But for the Bluejays to play well in his sophomore season, Hanson will need opportunities to display the skills and ability to finish (68.4 FG%) that were evident in limited minutes (123 total) last year.
Perhaps the greatest challenge awaiting Hanson as he attempts to make the leap to his sophomore season is the type of player he’ll be called upon to guard in the rugged Big East. No one is going to mistake Xavier’s Matt Stainbrook for Alonzo Mourning (although Alonzo’s kid, Trey, is a freshman at Georgetown). But big, athletic guys like Georgetown’s Josh Smith (6-10, 350-ish), St. John’s Chris Obepka (6-10, 236), Villanova’s Daniel Ochefu (6-11, 245), the aforementioned Stainbrook (6-10, 270), and fellow sophomore DePaul’s Tommy Hamilton IV (6-11, 255) could give Hanson (and Artino, and Groselle) fits.
If Hanson, who chose Creighton over Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa State, and Gonzaga, can couple improved defense with his ability to finish around the rim, the Bluejays could have a skilled anchor around the paint whose shooting touch can allow him to leak out a bit. That’s a tough matchup.
Photo Gallery (here) and slideshow (below) of Zach Hanson:
Hanson’s Creighton Career Stats:
Freshman – 2.8 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 6 blocks in 5.1 mpg (24 appearances)
Head Coach Greg McDermott on Hanson:
“He’s going to have to play extended minutes for us. He’s big and strong. He can score in the block. He can step away and shoot that 15-to-17-footer. He needs to be a very consistent rebounder for us in order for us to reach our goals this season.”
Q&A with Zach Hanson:
Q: How have you improved since you’ve been at Creighton?
A: “Last year to this year I’ve leaned down a lot, and that has helped me be more explosive on the court.”
Q: How do you feel being kind of under the radar nationally?
A: “We’re going to try to prove people wrong this year. I think it’s an exciting spot to be in. It’s fun to be the underdog and we’re going to step up to our challenges, and I think we’ll do pretty well.”
Q: What position on the floor do you think best suits your game?
A: “Most of the time the coaches have me at the five, which allows me to do pick and roll stuff and shoot some mid-range shots, and cut around the basket.”
Q: What did you think of your first year under Mac?
A: “I really enjoyed it. It was a learning year and I picked up on a lot of things. I really enjoyed being part of that team. Getting to play with our seniors they were great guys to learn things from, and I just enjoyed the year.”