BY TODD TAYLOR
CNHI
— Not long ago, Todd Hanni taking the court for a big-time Division I basketball program seemed like a pipe dream.
Following his graduation from Danville High School in 2006, Hanni enrolled at Wabash Valley College in Illinois. He practiced and traveled with the team but was unable to play due to his part-time student status.
Three years later Hanni took the court for the University of Las Vegas Nevada during the team’s season opener against Pittsburgh State.
“It’s a neat story because you don’t see too many Indiana kids at UNLV, let alone basketball players,” Danville coach Brian Barber said. “We’re really proud of Todd — it takes a lot of courage to do what he’s done. He’s one of those guys that just stayed with it.”
In high school Hanni played his freshman and sophomore years at Avon but transferred to Danville his junior year for a chance to play for Barber.
“He runs one of the best programs in the state,” Hanni said. “He is a players’ coach and gets everything out of his players.”
Hanni excelled with Danville his senior year. He averaged 16 points and nine rebounds and helped the Warriors to their first sectional title in six years. Despite his success, recruiters weren’t exactly knocking down his door.
“He wasn’t heavily recruited by any means, but he stayed with it and that speaks highly of him,” Barber said. “It would’ve been easy for him to do something else and he stayed the course.”
After sitting out a year at WVC, Hanni got back on the court during the 2007-08 season and averaged eight points and eight rebounds.
Then he got his chance.
Hanni knew UNLV head coach Lon Kruger and director of basketball operations Mike Shepherd from a camp he attended when Kruger was coaching at the University of Illinois. He was granted a chance to walk on at UNLV.
“I redshirted my first year there,” Hanni said. “It was different (from his first year at WVC) because I was a full-time student at UNLV. And the setting is obviously a lot different.”
After redshirting in 2008-09 it didn’t take Hanni long to get on the court.
In the Runnin’ Rebels’ 2009-10 season opener against Pittsburgh State Hanni — a 6-4, 215-pound guard — had his number called.
Hanni didn’t score in UNLV’s 91-52 victory, but he did take two shots.
“It was pretty neat,” Hanni said. “I wish a couple of my shots went down — if felt like they were going in. I think my nerves were up a little bit.”
Hanni appeared in five games. He grabbed three rebounds but never found the bottom of the net.
For Hanni, however, playing time isn’t that important. He hopes his experience at UNLV will help him become a basketball coach one day. Hanni is learning all he can from Kruger, who has been a head coach at Kansas State, Florida, Illinois, and with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
“I learn by watching film and how coaches handle themselves,” Hanni said.
“You learn how to talk to the players because everybody is different, they all have different personalities and backgrounds. He (Kruger) expects a lot out of us but gives us a lot of freedom. He doesn’t give you a curfew or rules like that unless you prove that you need them.”
Hanni enters his junior year of eligibility this season but doesn’t expect much more playing time.
“It’s going to take a lot of work for me to do that — we should be really good this year,” he said. “A couple polls have us in the top 25. We basically have everybody back.”
Last season UNLV posted a 25-9 record and fell to Northern Iowa 69-66 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Runnin’ Rebels have four Final Four appearances to their credit and won a national title in 1990. They open their season Nov. 12 against visiting UC Riverside.
todd.taylor@flyergroup.com
