(Correctionville, IA) – Austin Hansen entered the 2009-10 season knowing that he was going to score a lot of points. He knew he was going to be option number one on the offensive end and in general expected to have a pretty good season. What transpired was well beyond his wildest expectations and earned him well deserved post-season honors.

Austin’s first taste of high school basketball action came as a freshman. It was 2006 when he first set foot on a varsity floor and to say he made an immediate impact would be false. In short, he played sparingly as most freshman do. His sophomore year was a different story all together. It was that season in which he really got his feet wet. He was a key reserve and spot starter but when the game was on the line, Hansen was on the floor. He finished second on the team in scoring with an average of 11.3 points per game but he truly distinguished himself on the other side of the court. His defensive prowess was evident early on as he led the team with 56 steals in only 21 games. “I learned at an early age that the better defense I played the more points I would score. The two go hand-in-hand. Through my career I have scored a lot of points off of turnovers.” He was also a prolific passer as he finished second on the team with 47 assists. Distributing came easy for Hansen. “I played point guard up until 8th grade and until then was always a pass-first type player. I really worked on my scoring especially finishing around the basket and that took my game to the next level.” Hansen had established himself as a defensive stopper and excellent distributor, but at the end of the day scoring is where the rubber met the road for Hansen. As the season progressed he became more comfortable with his role and by the end of the season Wolverines fans witnessed a glimpse of what the next two years would hold. He captured a then career high 23 points in a playoff loss to Woodbury Central (68-66). It was a clear sign of what was to come for this young man.

As a junior Hansen took his place in the starting lineup and picked up right where he left off scoring 21 points in the first game of the season. He would match that mark two more times on the year as he propelled himself to the top of the scoring charts leading the Wolverines with an average of 15.1 points per game. Hansen describes himself as a slasher. “I like to attack and finish at the rim. I used to be a shooter first, but an injury I suffered in football changed that.” During his junior football season Austin suffered a dislocated elbow which would continue to affect his basketball game well into his senior season. Again he led the team with 71 steals and finished second on the roster with 73 assists for his junior season. For skeptics who say, ‘Anybody can score. Anybody can shoot the ball every time and eventually get their points,’ this simply isn’t the case with Austin Hansen. Hansen isn’t your run of the mill chucker; he hit on 51% of his field goal attempts as a junior and is quick to point out that some of his best scoring nights have been on his best shooting percentage nights as well.

Hansen’s senior year was simply one to behold. Hansen scored, and scored, and scored. He averaged 22.1 points per game and shattered the school’s single game scoring record three different times. He started the season by dropping 28 on the road at Hinton and went on to score in double digits in all but two games his senior year. In the third game of the year he was 4 steals and 4 assists away from a quadruple double as he finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 assists in a 84-66 demolition of West Monona. Two games later he bested his career high by dropping in 29 points against Whiting. Hansen acknowledges that the River Valley schedule wasn’t packed with a ton of the state’s heavyweights, but scoring is scoring and the numbers he put up were downright staggering. He again eclipsed his own personal best as well as the school best when he poured in 32 points against Boyer Valley. It was only a drop in the bucket as four games later Hansen went Michael Jordan and tallied 49 points in a 91-51 drubbing of Charter Oak-Ute. While 49 points is amazing, and hard to fathom it becomes downright impossible when you realize he did this in 3 quarters of basketball. Hansen never set foot on the floor the entire 4th quarter. For Hansen, it was as so many scorers acknowledge on their own career best nights, he was simply in the zone. “It was a fun game, high tempo. Both teams wanted to run and get up and down the floor so there was an opportunity to score a lot. They turned the ball over a lot which led to a bunch of easy baskets for me and my teammates.” That night Hansen grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 4 assists establishing a school single game scoring record that is not likely to be topped anytime soon. “I took a lot of heat from people saying ‘Yeah you scored a bunch of points but look who you were playing’ but the fact that I only played 3 quarters usually quiets them down.”

Hansen would throw in 35 more against Whiting in the first round of the tournament, again in only 3 quarters of play. He would finish his senior year with 487 points on the year and an average of 22.1 points per game. Again he proved to be an expert marksman as he hit on 52% of his field goal attempts. His 153 rebounds were second on the team as were his 77 assists. His 96 steals were tops on the team and among the best in the conference and state. He finished 17th in the entire state regardless of class in scoring average. He was 9th in class 1A and second in the Western Valley Conference. The most astonishing thing is that with his given proficiency for scoring the basketball, his play has not garnered much college attention. “My plan right now is to go to WIT and major in Business. If somebody called and wanted me to play I would certainly be interested.”

Following a tremendous senior year Hansen is cruising through to graduation and looking to the future. Whether or not his future holds collegiate basketball remains to be seen. If a college coach is looking for a proven scorer that identifies defense as the impetus for the majority of his career points who happens to stand 6’4” and can handle the ball, then look no further than River Valley High School. Austin Hansen is your man!