TGU’s Sage Hanson joins ND Phenom teammate with verbal commitment to UND basketball

GRAND FORKS The North Dakota Phenom AAU program will be well represented in the halls of the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in a few years.

Sage Hanson, a 6-foot-9 forward/combo guard who plays AAU basketball with the Phenom and prep basketball with TGU, announced his commitment to UND mens basketball on July 25.

ADVERTISEMENT HAWK NATION pic.twitter.com/kOHppWjkRB He joins Phenom teammate Carter Evanson in the Fighting Hawks 2026 recruiting class.

Evanson committed to UND on May 31.

Though Evansons earlier commitment played a factor, Hansons primary draw to UND was its leadership.

Hanson was recruited by North Dakota State and a handful of other programs, but head coach Paul Sathers clear interest throughout the process stuck out.

During the entire recruiting process, (Sather) made it seem that he was very interested, Hanson said.

He came to like every AAU game that I had.

He was pretty adamant about recruiting me.

...

Ultimately, I decided I wanted to go where they were recruiting me the hardest, so thats why I committed.

Hansons highlight reels are replete with dunks and blocks, but athleticism and height are just a few of his draws as a prospect.

Hes stepped in to run the point at TGU, illustrating strong ball handling for his size and an ability to shoot.

I would describe myself as a shooter, Hanson said.

I feel like I have a decent handle for my size, so I can get into some moves and create my own shots whenever I need to.

On UND's side, Hanson believes his perimeter play and ability to shoot the three were some of the traits that stuck out.

(Sather) likes that I was able to be a tall perimeter presence, and that I could attack close outs and also pick and pop for threes, Hanson said.

Defensively, he liked how I could switch and kind of guard most positions.

ADVERTISEMENT Though his freshman season is still some time away, Hanson is hoping to get on the court as fast as he can, taking full advantage of UNDs facilities to put on weight and prove himself on the court.

Hanson is now turning his focus to enjoying his senior year at TGU with his recruitment wrapped up.

Senior year is probably the most fun year, Hanson said.

Being able to just kind of have my place, know I have a place to go, a place I can call home, and I can just play basketball without having to think of performance or anything, is just really nice.

However, he still has a few goals in mind before he transitions to the collegiate ranks.

First, Hanson wants to help bring TGU to the state tournament.

Thats kind of something Ive always wanted to check off my bucket list, Hanson said.

I havent gone yet, so thats a big driving point for this year.

In terms of personal accolades, Hanson is aiming his sights high.

I want to win Mr.

Basketball for North Dakota, Hanson said.

Thatll be on my mind the whole season..

This article has been shared from the original article on grandforksherald, here is the link to the original article.