November 16, 2007
The Salem Evening News:
Hanson Lights It Up In College Debut

This article is reprinted with permission of the Salem Evening News. It ran on November 16, 2007.
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by Bill Kipouras

Nashua - Salem basketball sharpshooter Chris Hanson didn't have much to smile about in his first two weeks at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, N.H.

That's because the 18-year-old freshman, a downtown shooting specialist, had one practice and then found himself spending two weeks at home, recovering from a flu and viral inflection.

Obviously, it didn't hinder him one bit.

The 6-foot-3 Eagles' shooting guard netted 19 points, hitting 6 of 12 floor shots and 5 of 10 three-pointers, in a 19-point effort against The Citadel. Hanson also picked off a team high eight rebounds and dished off three assists.

Maybe it was just an exhibition, but 19 big ones at the expense of a Division 1 opponent that played tough man defense and won easily (131-79) was exciting for Hanson.

"I was excited, but not nervous," Hanson said. "I had been shooting it well in practice and the Citadel trip (the game, not a 16-hour bus ride to Charleston, S.C.) was a lot of fun.

"My sickness was no problem. I did my school work at home. I was ready for it."

He said The Citadel put on a lot of pressure on, but Hanson found himself open a lot on the wing and point guard. Captain Ryan Middlemiss of Methuen kept finding him, which helped.

"I don't think we were worn out from the ride; we got there the day before in the afternoon. Citadel was simply very disciplined, very good," he said.

Endicott alumnus Jeremy Courier, now the Daniel Webster head coach, said Hanson can just plain shoot it.

"We run an offense that gives a lot of opportunities to the wings, and Chris was getting open looks," Courier said. "I think Chris has seen the reward of playing hard all the time. He was creating and ready to go.

"He had a great summer up here playing in an Adidas League. Physically, he's ready to play college ball. What he brings here is that he's a high level guy for us."

Courier said Hanson is slated for major minutes. "He'll be an impact player for us right away," he said.