Brian Hanuschak Makes Decision
Brian Hanuschak has received a crash course in the ups and downs of the recruiting process during his senior year. After a summer in which he played extremely well, he returned to St. Andrew’s in September with multiple division I scholarship offers. By the time the season had begun, many of those offers had disappeared as schools began to receive commitments from other players. But as the year went on and Hanuschak’s strong play continued, more and more division I schools began to get back on board.
Despite the highs and lows, Hanuschak never got consumed by the process and remained focused on his goal…getting a free education at a top academic school. On Thursday, that mindset led him to accept a scholarship offer from the College of St. Rose.
“He’s the smartest kid I’ve ever dealt with in this process,” said longtime St. Andrew’s Head Coach Mike Hart. “If he waited longer, he could have had other division I offers, but he had already hit the jackpot academically.”
Not only does St. Rose offer him a chance for the top education he has desired, but he will have a great opportunity to make an instant impact on the floor as well. With a record of 23-8 including a mark of 18-4 within their conference, the Golden Knights were one of the top teams in the NE-10 this year. But in order to sustain that level of success next season they will need several newcomers to step in and play key roles as they graduate their top three scorers.
Hanuschak should be uniquely qualified to do that. Standing at 6’6” with a good face-up game and some deceptive athleticism, he is the prototypical face-up four-man. He excels at the high post where he can knock down the jumper, pass well, and fly in for offensive rebounds.
At St. Andrew’s, Hanuschak scored over 1000 points in his two year career after transferring from his home town high school in Cumberland, Rhode Island. He averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds per game during his senior year, before he went down with a broken foot in the team’s last regular season game. But as good as his numbers were, his greatest impact on his high school team may have been the intangibles he brought on and off the court.
“We were lucky to have him,” said Hart. “He played out of position all year for us and didn’t say a word. He’s just a great kid.”
A great kid who made a great decision that others could learn from. He didn’t get caught up in worrying about the level…he picked a school where he could get a great education and play right away.
Brian Hanuschak