Hahn ends Bison career on high note
Winkelman and Nelson have career nights as Mayville focuses on Woodside
Phil Hahn walked off the court wearing the white home uniform for the final time with his head held high after the Bison defeated the University of Mary.
Wednesday’s game was senior night for the Bison, a time that habitually casts off several seniors from each year’s team.
However, the youngest team in the nation will say goodbye only to Hahn, a player whose swagger won’t be easily forgotten.
“ Phil has brought tremendous leadership to the Bison,” head coach Tim Miles said when reflecting on Hahn’s career. “He is a savvy young man who can bring out the best in a teammate.”
After an All-American career at NDSCS, the undersized tattoo-wearing guard made an immediate impact on the Bison.
He played in all 28 games his junior year, averaged 8.7 points per game and was named the Division I independent newcomer of the week twice in NDSU’s first season in the reclassification to Division I.
This season, however, Hahn took on a different role.
After frequently starting games last season at point guard, he became a spark plug off the bench.
“ Phil willingly takes on any role to help the team’s success,” Miles said. “He is a very smart player; he understands a coach’s perspective and relates well to what is going on out on the floor.”
Hahn, who has always been a 3-point threat, exploded from behind the arc. Hahn drained over 40 treys and ignited the crowd in several games with disbelief.
A shining display came during the Bison’s meeting with rival SDSU. The 155-pound Canuck went 5-7 from 3-point land and nailed shot after shot to lead the Bison to an 86-56 victory.
His crowning moment came in the second half when he was mauled by his teammates at center court after his fourth consecutive 3-pointer in under two minutes. The crowd rose to its feet and gave Hahn a standing ovation after the unimaginable show he put on.
Just recently against Mayville State, Hahn came off the pine and jumpstarted a run fueled by his three 3-pointers.
From there, largely due to Hahn’s play, the Bison cruised to a win over the NAIA nationally ranked Comets.
Aside from all the personal highs Hahn has had at NDSU, being a part of the team that took down No. 13 ranked University of Wisconsin will be his greatest memory as a Bison.
Hahn will not return home to Toronto because he has another semester to finish before graduating.
After his first two years at NDSCS, Hahn even considered going home to Canada to play his final two seasons of college basketball.
Living more than 1,100 miles from his hometown started to get to him while playing at the junior college, especially during his first year.
“ I was getting pretty home sick then and felt like I needed more time with my family,” Hahn said.
Luckily, he chose to stay south of the border and came to Fargo.
Now that his time is almost up at the collegiate level, Hahn will play his final game Sunday at IPFW. He is admittedly interested in playing basketball overseas if given the chance.
Otherwise, he will still be able to watch the team play the game he has always loved next year.
“ Watching these guys grow and mature over the course of the year has opened my eyes to the future of the program,” Hahn said. “The young guys that coach Miles and his staff have assembled … have what it takes to compete at the national level.”
Memories and monumental upsets aside, NDSU has meant a lot to Hahn.
“ It’s been a short two years, but I’ll always be a Bison at heart,” Hahn said.