Hannan makes patience pay off

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004 | 9:15 a.m.

The worst basketball injury of Andy Hannan's life turned into a blessing in June.

Early on, the pain from, if not the look of, his lumpy, multi-colored right ankle made him grimace and think about his lost summer of improvement on the court.

Then the 6-foot-6 lefty tapped into the patience of a driving instructor who teaches nervous teens how to navigate on four wheels during frigid Minnesota winters -- what his father, Mike, does -- to improve himself in another way.

"I had a lot of time to reflect upon last season and what happened, and what's worked for me in three years of college basketball and what hasn't worked," Andy said. "There was not time to sit around and dwell about a hurt ankle, and it really refreshed my mind.

"I got to take a look at everything from a different perspective. Everything kind of slowed down, and I got a break from basketball. When I got healthy, I was real hungry to go at it again."

Hannan, a senior swingman who started once last season, will be among UNLV's first five for a third consecutive game tonight when the Rebels (5-4) play host to Texas-Pan American (7-3) at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"This coaching staff has had confidence in me," said Hannan, 21. "They've given me the opportunities, so I have to give the credit to them for giving me that shot and chance out there."

Hannan already owns a spot in the team's 2004-05 highlight reel, for sinking a signature, high-arching 19-foot jumper with four-tenths of a second remaining to defeat California, 73-72, four weeks ago in Berkeley.

That was the fifth basket of his career as a Rebel.

Hannan logged only two minutes of action three days later in Reno before totaling 50 minutes, 14 points, 13 rebounds and a couple of assists in back-to-back games against Pepperdine and Auburn.

He broke into the starting lineup last Tuesday, when UNLV beat Gardner-Webb by 15 points. He followed that Wednesday with 14 points and 5 assists, both career highs, in a 17-point victory over Florida Atlantic.

First-year UNLV coach Lon Kruger promoted Hannan from the bench because of his consistent all-around game.

"He's just very involved in everything and he's making the guys around him better," Kruger said. "That's good. I'm happy for Andy."

The Rebels pelted Florida Atlantic with 13 3-point shots, a barrage Hannan helped fuel by draining four of his six long-range attempts. His unselfishness, he believes, has been contagious.

"I've always enjoyed passing first and shooting second," Hannan said. "Who doesn't want someone who's on the court, trying to distribute to others? I feel like I've been doing that well.

"I've been trying to do the little things, like concentrating on defense. When you concentrate on those, things go well. When you work hard like that, things start to fall your way. And I think (Kruger) has been happy with my versatility."

Against Gardner-Webb, Hannan rounded out Kruger's three-guard starting set, with Jerel Blassingame and Romel Beck. The next night, Hannan started at small forward, complementing power forward Odartey Blankson.

Hannan's situation differs greatly from a year ago, when various injuries constantly nagged him. By the middle of the season, it was difficult just to get a few minutes, much less a spot in former coach Charlie Spoonhour's rotation.

He often looked perplexed about his status. Today, Hannan says that was frustration and he has never regretted leaving Minneapolis for UNLV. He has exchanged small talk with Spoonhour during Spoonhour's occasional practice visits this season.

"I have a lot of respect for (Spoonhour and his former staff)," Hannan said. "They're all good guys, and I wish them the best. I don't think it was anybody's fault, me or the coaching staff. It's just the way it went last year.

"I could have just had the same perspective coming into this season, but I knew I could play. I just kept my head up and things are going well."

Patience.

Martha Hannan said her third and youngest son exhibits many of the traits of his father, who worked late Tuesday instructing those young drivers around Minneapolis.

"I couldn't do that," she said. "But (Mike) has a lot of patience and is real good with them."

When Andy rolled that ankle during a pickup game after working a summer camp at Holy Angels High School -- where he first took his father's advice to shoot those high archers, because they had a better chance of going in -- Martha Hannan's skills behind the wheel came into play.

"It was hard for him," she said. "He was (recently) saying how that summer had looked so bleak. It was such a bad injury. I should know; I took him to the doctor. But sometimes those things turn into the best things for you."

After three months of rehabilitation and ice, Andy finally returned to the court to resume what he had done so well for Kruger and his assistants during individual spring workouts.

In other words, a little bit of everything.

And he said he has nothing to prove to himself or to others.

"I'm just trying to help this team get some wins," Hannan said. "And if I'm out there, then that's great. If not, I'll root them on. So far, I've been happy with the way it's going. Can't complain."