CIS University Offers 2023 Combo Guard Hasan Hammad
The College for International Studies has offered the Virginia-based class of 2023 guard Hasan Hammad Hasan Hammad 6'2" | PG Battlefield | 2023 State VA a significant scholarship to take his elite skills to Madrid, Spain. The star-studded guard out…
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Continue ReadingThe College for International Studies has offered the Virginia-based class of 2023 guard Hasan Hammad Hasan Hammad 6'2" | PG Battlefield | 2023 State VA a significant scholarship to take his elite skills to Madrid, Spain. The star-studded guard out of Haymarket, Virginia had the offer announced on July 4th via social media. I connected with Hamad and asked him a few questions to get to know more about him and his game.
When asked, what strengths do you believe you have that make you a great basketball player? He responds, “My greatest strength in my game is my ability to get downhill. Being a bigger guard and possessing more strength than most others at my position allows me to attack defenders off the dribble and opens up opportunities not only for myself to score at the rim or off counters like pull-ups and floaters but also the ability to find shooters and cutters once the defense is forced to react. Another big part of my game is my motor. I am a high-energy player that not only plays on-ball defense but I take charges, meet others at the rim, and read passing lanes at a high level.”
In the previous season with the
VA Playmakers
, Hammad averaged: 18.6 PPG on a crazy efficient 67% from the field, along with 6.4 RPG, 7.5 APG, 2.6 SPG, and 1.4 BPG.
In the previous season with Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Virginia Hammad averaged: 9 PPG on 47.2% FG, 4.4 RPG, 3 APG, 1 SPG, and 1 BPG.
Game High includes: 27 points going 7/9 from deep against Hargrave Military Academy at the JMU Team Camp of 2022.
Are there any short-term goals you’d like to accomplish in the next few months to a couple of years? “Some short-term goals that I’d like to accomplish are to commit to play basketball at the next level, make all-district, region, and state teams in my senior year, and finish High school with a 4.0.”
What do you believe is one of your biggest weaknesses? And what are you doing to improve it? “One of my weaknesses in my game is my decision-making. I’ve always been a High IQ basketball player but sometimes I overthink the decision on the fly and it ends up being the wrong decision leading to a turnover or a missed opportunity. Some things I am doing to fix that is watching more film of those past decisions and seeing what caused it and what could have avoided it. This lately has helped my game tremendously and has caused increases in my efficiency and ability to help my team win games.”
What does your daily routine as an athlete look like? “My daily routine consists of 8 am conditioning and skills work with my high school that I and the other captains run, followed by work from 10-3. After work, I typically go to the Freedom Center to get a Lift in before heading to K sports and working with MVM training at around 4:30 pm. During this training, we do ball handling, finishing, shooting (both on the move and spot-up), defense, and live scenarios as well as conditioning. Following that training, I typically head home and watch the film or live games while recovering and ending the day.”
What do you believe the greatest challenge that athletes are facing today is? “I believe the greatest challenge facing athletes today is self-image. A lot of athletes view social media and compare themselves to others based on aspirations or goals and that isn’t always fair to them. This can result in them feeling less of themselves and losing love for the game which in all reality isn’t at all necessary. At the end of the day, it’s about getting 1% better than you were yesterday, not 1% better than your buddy”
What do you look for in a great coach? “Personally, the ideal coach for me is a coach that has faith in me to make the right decision. Another quality of a great coach would be a coach that understands the fluidity of the game and doesn’t play at a robotic or predictable pace, it’s smart to slow things down and play in the half-court when necessary but there is a lot of fast-break opportunities by turning defense and rebounds into offense and by slowing things down every possession, it kills that aspect of the game”
How do you keep your teammates positive and motivated during a loss? “I keep my teammates positive and motivated through a loss because we all go into that journey or season with the same mindset, we all understand that losing is a part of the game and we use it as momentum and motivation towards the next game and into the following practices”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? “In ten years I see myself very much still involved in the game. Hopefully, that’s playing but in the event that it’s not, I’ve always wanted to be on a coaching staff once my playing days are over. I’ve always seen the game from an X’s and O’s standpoint and see plays develop early so being able to coach has always been something I’d hope to do”
What has basketball taught you that carries over into other areas of your life? “Basketball has taught me many lessons in life but the biggest lesson that basketball has taught me is that “what you put in is what you get out”. This is something I learned from a great coach of mine, Coach Chris Marshall, and it has stuck with me ever since”
Do you have a favorite player or someone who you try to model your game after? “Being from the DMV, I’ve always loved the wizards and John Wall as a player but I’ve always modeled my game after different guys. Defensively, I try and bring the energy that guys like Patrick Beverly and Marcus Smart bring to the table whereas Offensively, It’s always been modeled after guys like Lebron James and now, Lu Dort”
Ever since fourth grade, the Spanish native would have no doubt in his mind that he wanted to advance his basketball playing career past the Highschool level. Hammad knows what it takes to be a successful pro as his grandfather was a former Olympic athlete and his parents instilled an incomparable work ethic that will stick with him throughout his career. The young prospect hopes to play the game of basketball for as long as he can as he continues to improve his game day by day.