Jared Hankins Gets Buckets

A lot of good things have been said about Hankins, 6’4” shooting guard for Lawrence North high school, in the last few months. And they all appear to be true.

First, there is what he has done on the court. A role player for the most part last year as a sophomore, he turned in a sensational junior year averaging over 15 points and 5 rebounds on 50%+ shooting, which led to him being named a junior all star. The well documented loss of his sister Jordan in 2017, who was a standout basketball player and sophomore at Northwestern, lit an even greater passion inside Hankins to be a top player.

“The loss of my sister and my grandmother is what motivates me to play. I have to do this now,” says Hankins of playing basketball at a high level.

And play he has. He was on fire on the AAU circuit playing for Indiana Elite Fastbreak, one of the better teams at his grade level in the state. He scored a career 51 points on his sister’s birthday in a tournament last year, and Hankins was sensational averaging 22 points on 55% shooting to go with 5 rebounds. He has turned interest into offers from Indiana State, Miami Of Ohio, St. Bonaventure and Southern Illinois.  He committed to Indiana State last August.

“Jared was the heart and soul of our team”, says Everett Blackmon, head coach for Fastbreak. “He hits big shot after big shot, which energizes the team.

The second thing about Hankins is his work ethic on and off the court. Hankins, also a top student with a 3.5 GPA, works as hard on the books as he does on the court. His Dad Walter Hankins also sees the work on the court.

“I don’t have to force Jared. He is always ready to work in the classroom and on the court. He loves what he does”, he says.

Even though he has come very far and opened up a lot of eyes with his game, Hankins knows he’s not a finished product. He wants to improve on his assists total and even his rebounding. But Blackmon sees long term success.

“Jared will be successful because he is an extremely hard worker, is keenly focused and a fierce competitor”, he says. “Jared is also very coachable and it doesn’t hurt that he is a long, very athletic player that can flat out shoot the ball”.

Before he heads to Terre Haute, Hankins is leading his youth Lawrence North squad to a Top 20 state ranking.  His leadership has really shown with a young group.

“The hardest thing has been telling teammates what to do without being disrespectful.  Even though your words may not be hurtful, the pride gets in the way and can effect emotions in a game”, says Hankins.  Hankins hopes to lead his team out of a competitive sectional and to make a long run towards the state title.

Jared Hankins, it appears, is here to stay and has a bright future in basketball. Someone is going to get a very good player and person at the next level.