Hanson joins 1,000 career point club

Zach Hanson became the 39th Johnnie in SJU basketball history to reach 1,000 career points. He reached the milestone in a win against St. Mary’s.

The Johnnies, who are 13-3 overall and 10-1 in the conference are lucky to have Hanson back on the court with them this season.

After last spring, Hanson decided to come back and use his NCAA COVID-eligibility year to play a fifth and final season with the Johnnies.

“My biggest reason for coming back was to take care of some unfinished business. A couple of years ago we made a playoff push into the national tournament before COVID put a halt on our season,” Hanson said.

After becoming 2020 MIAC regular season and MIAC playoff champions Hanson’s junior year, the season was cut short due to COVID-19 and the Johnnies were not able to finish what they had started.

After being ranked within the top five in all of Division III throughout that season, many players on the team were excited to play in the NCAA tournament and have the chance at winning a title. However, that time never came.

“I think it left everyone with a really empty feeling when it was over. I’m sure there was a part of Zach that wanted to end things on a more positive note when it came to his time here at SJU,” head SJU basketball coach Pat McKenzie said.

This is especially true after last year the Johnnies played an extremely short season of seven games with no chance of having any playoff games as they were canceled due to COVID-19.

“Ever since getting a taste of success that season, we’ve been hungry for more. I’m hoping I can be a part of the success to help achieve the ultimate goal of a national championship,” Hanson said.

With the success the Johnnies have been having this season, it seems as if they might be a potential contender for a championship once again.

“Winning is really hard. Zach certainly gives us a better chance to win though,” McKenzie said when asked about his predictions about advancing to the playoffs. Hanson seems to have no regrets about coming back to play another season for the Johnnies, surrounded by his teammates once again.

“The team chemistry is great. That’s one of my favorite parts of SJU basketball,” Hanson said. “The camaraderie is largely due in part to the seniors on the team Jake Binley, Colt Codute, Alex Rasmussen and Mitch Plombom have done a great job at setting the tone for success and creating a positive and healthy environment for the guys in this team.”

Likewise, the Johnnies are just as grateful to have Hanson back on the court.

According to McKenzie, Hanson is a strong post that threatens the defense when shooting off the block.

“Hanson does a great job of reading what the defense is doing and making the right play,” McKenzie said.

However, while Hanson is an exemplary player and leader on the court, he also plays a huge role in serving his team off the court.

“He sets the tone in his approach. He is really quiet but he shows up and competes with intensity and a purpose,” McKenzie said. “He’s a really good player­ —one of the best post players we have ever had here at SJU. More importantly, he’s a great teammate. He makes our whole team better.”

McKenzie attributes a major part of the team’s success over the last five years to Hanson.

“He doesn’t care how many points he scores, shots he gets, minutes he plays, etc…He just cares about winning. That has been evident ever since he committed to SJU. That mentality has been a critical part of our success.”