Tyrone Hanson has (yet) another new team

Give credit to Sagebrush reporter Juan López for digging up the latest on former Wolf Packer Tyrone Hanson. It's always difficult to read the proverbial tea leaves but Hansen doesn't come off like he is any wiser for his continuing travails. It will certainly come as a surprise to the existing Jackson State players that it's Hanson's team next season.

Ex-Pack player finds new team
Juan López
Nevada Sagebrush
May 5, 2009

Former Nevada basketball forward Tyrone Hanson will play for his third team in four seasons after he was dismissed from the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith.

Hanson said he will play at Jackson State University for the 2009-10 season.

Hanson played at Nevada during the 2006-07 season. As a freshman, he showed glimpses of being a solid player as he averaged 1.6 points and one rebound per game in 8.1 minutes played per game. He played in all 30 games and seemed to be headed for an even more successful sophomore campaign before he was dismissed from the team because he violated team rules...

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ESPN on former Wolf Packer Tyrone Hanson

Ty Hanson was excused from the Nevada basketball team early last season after a couple of problems and there was even some question about his safety if he remained in Reno after the last incident. ESPN has an article on Hanson and Chris Murray of the Reno Gazette-Journal came across it. It's a very interesting article but why or even why now are legitimate questions. It's certain that the Hanson followup has nothing to do with the recent shoplifting citations of three Nevada players.

ESPN The Magazine features ex-Pack player Hanson
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
10/25/2008

I was flipping through the latest ESPN The Magazine when I came across a story titled, "Could've Been Worse." The subhead was, "What do you call a former prep star who is brutally beaten and threatened at gunpoint, only to be kicked off his big-time college team and exiled to a sleepy juco in Arkansas? Lucky." Sounded like a good read, so I flipped the page and what did I see? A picture of former Wolf Pack basketball player Tyrone Hanson. I should have guessed that from the headlines, but didn't. I would like to provide a link to Jerry Bembry's feature of Hanson here, but it isn't posted anywhere online, not even on the magazine's Web site. So, instead of a link, I will post a skeleton of the story.

Could've Been Worse

The story starts with an anecdote about Hanson flying from Reno to his home in New York immediately after being kicked off the Pack. It was the same flight he took two months earlier -- when he flew into Reno before his sophomore season -- but in the opposite direction. He was flying home to his father, who raised him as a single parent and had saw him off to Reno just a few months before.

Hanson on returning to New York: "When my dad dropped me off (when I was going to Reno), he was so proud -- his son was doing something with his life, playing games on ESPN. Then there I was at the same place, with the same two bags, looking at my dad and thinking I'd let him down..."

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The story behind the story

The story behind the story is the one we rarely access but Steve Sneddon gives it a good shot in the following article. It is interesting that Coach Mark Fox came to the decision that Hanson could no longer be part of the team despite no criminal violations. Maybe the simple truth truly is that Hanson needed to get out of Reno -- although he doesn't or didn't feel that way.

Tyrone Hanson begins long road back
Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
February 10, 2008

WARNER, Okla. -- Junior college basketball is filled with players hoping for a second chance.

Hundreds of them, still holding out hope they can get back to major college basketball, or get there for the first time.

Tyrone Hanson, who is enrolled at Arkansas-Fort Smith Community College, is trying to make a return, after being dismissed from the Nevada men's basketball team on Oct. 30.

"I feel like I'm back in high school again, really," said Hanson, who is redshirting this season and will play for Arkansas-Fort Smith as a sophomore in 2008-09 season.

For now, Hanson practices and watches his team play games at home and on the road. On the road, the Lions travel, by van, to places like Connors State College in Warner, Okla., which has a population of about 2,000.

"After playing in front of thousands, now, it's like small gyms, like I'm back in high school," said the former Pack player, who sat for an interview in Warren two weeks ago. "The level of the competition is real good. There's a lot of Division I guys on my team. I'd say about five of them. The team is real good. Guys work hard."

Hanson is starting over.

He was dismissed from Nevada following a tumultuous series of events in Reno that started with the homicides of three college-aged men at a Halloween party in the early morning hours of Oct. 28. Hanson, who turns 21 today, was robbed and beaten at the party.

Nevada coach Mark Fox said Hanson was not removed from the team for being involved in a fight, but for disregarding instructions not to go to the party after an earlier team policy violation.

Fox helped Hanson, who said the earlier violation was a positive test for marijuana, transfer to Arkansas Fort-Smith. The Lions' coach is former Nevada assistant Josh Newman...

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The story gets deeper with this article "I can hear the screaming, I can hear the guns" Do click on the link and read further.

Tyrone Hanson learns not to mess with Mark Fox

Sophomore guard Tyrone Hanson is no longer a member of the Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team. Coach Mark Fox dropped the shooting guard from his squad after repeated team violations. Nevada also wasted no time in deleting Hanson from the official roster on the school web site.

Hanson had demonstrated outside-shooting ability in his brief stints last year and increased playing time was in the works for him in the upcoming season but no longer.

How does this impact the Wolf Pack? There may be some effect felt, although nothing dramatic, in 2007-2008 but Hanson certainly is replaceable.

Here is the beginning of the Reno Gazette Journal article on Hanson:

Nevada basketball: Fox removes Hanson from team
Steve Sneddon
Reno Gazette-Journal
October 31, 2007

Sophomore guard Tyrone Hanson, who was beaten and robbed at a Halloween party in Reno that ended in a triple homicide early Sunday morning, was dismissed from the Nevada basketball team.

Coach Mark Fox announced the dismissal in an emotional and unusual evening news conference Tuesday at Legacy Hall.

Fox said he did not remove Hanson from the team because he was involved in the fight. But, rather, because he was at the party in the first place.

"I held Tyrone out of a scrimmage for a violation of our policy," Fox said. "And he was directed to stay home Saturday night. He violated that direction."

Hanson, 20, of New York City, appeared in 30 games, all off the bench, and averaged 1.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game. He was one of nine letter winners who returned from last season.

He was held out of Saturday's closed scrimmage against Loyola Marymount.

Go here for the complete article.

A preview of Nevada men's basketball 2007-2008

Here we go with our latest update on Nick Fazekas-less Nevada 2007-2008.

Nevada Coach Mark Fox is now going to better understand how the rest of the teams in the WAC have felt for some time. Fox is losing Nick Fazekas -- which would be devastating for many teams by itself -- but also standout point guard Ramon Sessions, plus two other starters in top defender Kyle Shiloh and outside shooting small forward Denis Ikovlev.

This is major. No, actually make it major minus, four major minuses.

Luckily for Fox, senior Marcelus Kemp pulled out of the NBA draft and will be the the Wolf Pack go-to guy in 2007-2008.

Here's who else Fox has returning:

Lyndale Burleson point guard 6-3 190 junior. Burleson is the new point with Sessions' departure. Sometimes, players rise to the occasion -- other times, greater expectations and responsibility prove to be a heavy burden. Regardless, with Burleson now projected to both start and play 30 minutes or so a game, his previously expected 2007-2008 role will need filling by someone else. However, there's no player on the current roster who immediately comes to mind to do so. This will be interesting to watch as the season plays out -- Burleson is not as good or productive a player as Sessions and it just may be the same for the player or players who step up to fill Burleson's old role. (Note: Burleson is now academically ineligible for the first semester)

Brandon Fields shooting guard 6-4 185 sophomore. Fields was primarily a scorer in the prep ranks and will have a golden opportunity before him in the upcoming season to earn much greater court time. He is also seeing some time at the point so far in the pre-season.

Marcelus Kemp wing 6-5 210 senior. On the plus side, Kemp, who averaged 18.5 ppg. last season will easily go above 20, maybe 25, in 2007-2008. Also look for Kemp to have 200 or more shot attempts than any of his teammates. But he'll have to work much harder for his points because Fazekas won't be present to draw the attention of defenses, and passer deluxe Sessions will also be absent. Kemp's assist to turnover ratio, not exactly an enviable one at 82 assists to 98 turnovers, will also probably decline due to having to carry a greater offensive load for his team. It's going to be an interesting time because scouts will want to see a more well-rounded game from Kemp -- one of the primary reasons he withdrew from the NBA draft -- but the heavy offensive load he will need to bear may just prevent him from developing or demonstrating other aspects of his skills set. Regardless, there's no doubt he's a first-team WAC selection and a player-of-the-year candidate.

Tyrone Hanson wing 6-6 195 sophomore. The most impressive stat he posted in his initial season was shooting 13-27 from three-point range. However, he shot better from three-point land than overall and was a virtual stranger at the foul line, going just 0-2 on the season. He may very well be who Fox turns to for upgrading the firepower of his rotation. Hanson should be Kemp's eventual replacement.

Richie Phillips power forward 6-7 220 sophomore. He redshirted as a true freshman and saw but 44 minutes of court time this past season. Deemed 'explosive and powerful' coming out of high school, he has yet to match the expectations. He recently injured his leg and is out for six or so weeks.

Matt LaGrone power forward 6-8 215 sophomore. Known more as a rebounder coming out of high school, he's a role player best suited for complementarily working in the shadows of others.

Demarshay Johnson power forward 6-9 210 senior. Johnson redshirted last season due to academics. A native of the East Bay and an excellent leaper, he's a top shotblocker and decent rebounder but his offensive skills remain raw.

JaVale McGee center 6-11 225 sophomore. McGee enjoyed the best situation of all rookie initiations, subbing for Wolf Pack great Nick Fazekas. Like Johnson, McGee is extremely unpolished offensively, scoring on dunks and putbacks. He shot 60% as a frosh but his free throw making, 16-34, indicates his weakness at the line and anywhere out of the paint. He's the best shotblocker on the team and possesses very good potential.

David Ellis center 7-1 222 senior. He's never been the power in college that he was in the prep ranks, mainly due to lack of strength and bulk. Ellis can score in the paint and is decent from the foul line but lacks the physical prerequisites to earn a starting spot.

Here's Fox's recruiting class:

Malik Cooke forward 6-5 190 freshman (North Carolina HS). Cooke is a wing/small forward. Here's Fox on him: "He is a long, athletic player who can finish. He also has a real knack to get to the glass. I really wanted a true small forward, and he is a good one."

Armon Johnson shooting guard 6-3 190 freshman (Nevada HS) Johnson is a big time scorer but as an incoming freshman he will need time to adjust to the collegiate level of basketball. He is also seeing time at the point early.

Ray Kraemer guard 6-4 200 sophomore (Texas JC) He had verballed to Weber State but ended up working out a better offer and landed in the WAC -- Donald Trump would be proud. Kraemer was named the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors as a freshman in 2005-06 after averaging 18 ppg. and grabbing 8.3 rpg. He also shot a nifty 42% on his three-point attempts. He did not play in 2006-07 due to a shoulder injury and will have three years of eligibility remaining at Nevada.

Here's our take for a Wolf Pack starting five in 2007-2008:

center - JaVale McGee
power forward - Demarshay Johnson
wing - Marcelus Kemp
shooting guard - Ray Kraemer
point - Lyndale Burleson

Nevada is coming back to the pack, pun intended, in 2007-2008. It's highly unlikely Mark Fox's squad will again shoot 48% from the floor as a team, out-rebound opponents by seven a game and have 116 more assists than the opposition.But as we have posted earlier, he has major reinforcements coming in next season with two top 100 prepsters and a darkhorse point from the Texas high school ranks.