Libertyville’s Liam Hanson is working his tail off this summer.
Personal accolades are not the 6-foot-2 point guard’s goal, however.
“I have the ball in my hands a lot,” Hanson said. “So the more efficient I am, that rubs off on the other guys. A lot of it is being able to slow down and find my teammates. At the end of the day, it’s not just about you. It’s a team.”
Therein lies Hanson’s challenge ahead of his senior season. He averaged 14.0 points and a team-high 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals as a junior in his varsity debut, establishing a high profile within both the program and the North Suburban Conference.
But Hanson also gained a better understanding of what it takes to win. The Wildcats (10-19, 4-10) had a losing record for the first time since 2018-19.
“I know I didn’t shoot efficiently enough, and that hurt us in games, and I averaged too many turnovers,” Hanson said. “Now I’m in the gym a lot, lifting, trying to eat right, working on more off-the-dribble jump shots, on the move, coming off ball screens, slowing down, reading the defense, more ball handling and more ball control.”
That’s quite a laundry list for someone who played as well as Hanson did. But leading the Wildcats back toward the top of the conference is his No. 1 priority.
“Having that experience under his belt is invaluable, and he’s already gotten stronger and smarter,” Libertyville coach Brian Zyrkowski said. “His attitude and approach to the game has improved dramatically. We may not have had as good of a record, but he’s determined to change that.”
Off the court, Hanson is also leaning on film study, which includes rewatching games from last season.
“I study the game a lot more than I did last year,” he said. “I watched film of the teams we played last year to see what I could have done differently, what I did well and what I can improve on.”
Hanson is also watching college and professional games to pick up nuances.
“Seeing how those guards read the floor and the way they slow down and the way they hold defenders on their back, they’re strong, so they can finish in the paint,” he said. “They see the second layer of the defense. Instead of the defender right in front of them, they see space, which allows them to create.”
Zyrkowski sees progress in Hanson’s leadership too. Hanson has taken it upon himself to help build camaraderie among teammates off the court. They’ve watched the NBA Finals together and made group outings to Top Golf and the movie theater to see the latest “Bad Boys” film.
“So on the court, we know where each other are going to be at and can feed off each other and play as a team and not one-on-one ball,” Hanson said.
Hanson has seen firsthand what team basketball can do. He was sidelined with a torn meniscus during his sophomore season but was around for Libertyville’s school-record 29 wins and Class 4A supersectional appearance. He noticed how those players put in the work and made each other better.
“That’s one thing that I’m trying to instill in these guys, that you need to get in the gym and shoot,” Hanson said. “At the end of the day, you can be coached as well as anybody, but if you don’t have the skill, then nothing’s going to be happening.”
For Hanson, a major link to the 2022-23 team is former standout guard Jack Huber, whom he has known for years. Huber and Hanson’s older brother, Luke, are longtime friends.
“He came to some of the open gyms in the spring, and he straight-up kicked my butt,” Hanson said of Huber, who attends Illinois. “It made me mad. But at the end of the day, he led them to 29 wins, and he cooked me. So I can’t say anything.”
Huber said he keeps in touch with Hanson and makes sure to dish out valuable advice.
“I talk to him about the pressure of handling the ball and how important it is not to be one-dimensional,” Huber said. “I know how much the sport means to him and how hard he works, and I think he’s going to make great strides from his junior to senior year.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
