Myles Hanson, a 6-foot-4 junior forward from Chaska (MN) High, is one of the top players in the Minnesota Class of 2017 and who was a guest of the Gophers on Saturday versus Indiana.
Hanson is averaging a team-best 22.6 points per game this year for the Hawks, who are off to a 12-4 start. He has scored in double figures in all 16 games, including a season-best 34 points versus Richfield. Hanson has had 11 games of more than 20 points so far and went over 1,000 points for his career Friday as he scored 26 versus Richfield.
Hanson averaged 15.8 points per game as a sophomore with 21 double figure games and eight contests of 20 or more points, including 29 versus Prior Lake in the second round of the Section 2AAAA playoffs.
Hanson recently caught up with Gopher Hole to learn the latest on his recruitment. .
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your college recruitment right now?
Myles Hanson: I have a full-ride scholarship offer from Northern Iowa. I’m talking to the U of M, Cornell, Lehigh and Northwestern, currently with some NDSU calls and hopefully some visits to the Dakotas and Drake as well, so I would say that it is going pretty well, but I hope and expect to have more after this season.
Gopher Hole: North Dakota State and Nebraska were watching your game at the Tip-Off Classic, How pleased are you with how well things are going so far?
Myles Hanson: Good. I am averaging a good amount of points. Helping my team with wins. We have had two really close losses, so in a perfect world, we are 7-1 (to start), so the team definitely has the ability to do really special things. Just contributing in points, rebounds, looking down the floor for assists. That is how I like to help my team as well as being long and effective on defense as well.
Gopher Hole: How has your role changed from your sophomore season to your junior year?
Myles Hanson: Last year, we had a lot of captains, so they led the team. We had really good team chemistry and they were a big part of that, so I take that upon myself to make sure that we have good team bonding. Good team chemistry throughout the game and throughout the season, so just creating a good team atmosphere and also leading my team on the floor, whether it is picking them up when we are down, helping us stay intense when it is kind of easy to get complacent if we are up by a lot. Leading my team on and off the floor, not only in the game of basketball, but just being a leader in life as well.
Gopher Hole: Do you like being a little bit more a leader this year?
Myles Hanson: Oh, yes. Absolutely. I love it. I think that is one of my biggest strengths as a person and as a player. I take that role in my AAU season. I always kind of have, so that is something that is really important to me and that I take very seriously. I think that it is a great honor to be a junior and a captain on my team along with the other seniors, so I definitely enjoy it.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to you to have the opportunity to play Division I basketball?
Myles Hanson: It would be everything. Basketball is awesome. I absolutely love the sport. It doesn’t get any better, but the opportunity to have my education paid for that doesn’t happen for anybody. Anybody who says that it does happen is one of the luckiest people on earth. I love the game of basketball, but I also want to focus on my future, so if I can find a good school where my education is paid for and I can pursue what I want to pursue, I think basketball will take care of itself.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to go to any college football or college basketball games this year?
Myles Hanson: Yes. I attended the Northwestern football game and I went to the UNI versus North Carolina game, where they knocked off the number one team, so those were two big college experiences that I had and I plan on visiting the East Coast. Lehigh, Cornell and some of those schools and USD, NDSU, Nebraska and those place as well.
Gopher Hole: You mentioned Minnesota. What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Myles Hanson: I like to keep my head on my shoulders. I like to keep away from that stuff and focus on what is in front of me, so my AAU coach is very good about communicating with coaches. He’ll let me know when he is talking to colleges. He’ll be like “I contact the U of M today and they are really interested. They’ll probably come and check you out or I’ll have some colleges contact me,” but he has taken care of that and if anything comes up that I need to know, then he’ll tell me, but otherwise I’d like to just focus on high school.
Gopher Hole: Is that kind of nice that you don’t have to deal with all extra stuff?
Myles Hanson: Oh, yes. Everybody says that it is stressful. I can understand that at some times, but I feel like it is when they take it upon themselves to handle everything. My family is super supportive. Coaches are super supportive and willing to take on that role of managing what is going on. I trust them and it gives me less to worry about.
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Gopher Hole: What would it mean to play for the hometown school?
Myles Hanson: It is kind of important because I have a big family. If they can come watch me, that will make it a lot easier. Originally, staying in the Midwest was kind of my goal. Those school out East are also great schools in basketball and in academics, so I’m not really sure about where I am going to go, but to be able to play at the U of M would be awesome. It is a great sports school. A great home school and it close to my house, so it would be awesome. Just that atmosphere.