Whitworth College senior Kevin Hasenfus, a former Lodi High standout, was named the Northwest Conference Player of the Week on Monday. Hasenfus is averaging 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. (Courtesy photo)

Stepping up his game

Former Lodi High star Hasenfus playing major role in Whitworth College's best start ever

When the leading scorer of the Whitworth College men's basketball team went down with a broken hand, head coach Jim Hayford challenged his senior power forward to step up.

Lodi native Kevin Hasenfus has done just that, averaging a double-double over the last four games with 17.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per contest. The Division-III Pirates (16-1, 7-1 Northwest Conference) are ranked 10th in the nation and off to their best start in school history.

And the 6-foot-7, 220-pound Hasenfus, who was named the Northwest Conference Player of the Week on Monday, has had a lot to do with that.

"I definitely think from a leadership aspect I've improved," said Hasenfus, who leads the team in rebounding (6.4 per game) and is third in scoring (12.5 ppg). "This year as a senior and one of the team's captains, I have a much larger role: Leading by example and taking care of the younger guys on the team, making sure they don't get down on themselves. I didn't have to do that before."

The Delta College transfer — one of three on the team — has started every game this season and the team appears well on its way to a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Pirates finished

22-7 last season, just missing out on a tournament bid.

"Coach always talks about margin for error," Hasenfus said. "(Last year) we lost a couple games by one or in overtime, so we just come out every game this year and put the heat on them right from the start instead of keeping games close."

While Whitworth is having record success, the Spokane, Wash. school is hardly the only show in town, as Gonzaga reigns supreme on the south side of the city. But Spokane's beloved Bulldogs haven't taken away from Whitworth, Hasenfus says.

"It's a really large city. We don't have many other sporting draws to go to, so we get a pretty big turnout to our games," said Hasenfus, estimating that their average attendance is 1,200 per game. Not bad for a school with only 3,000 undergraduates, roughly the size of Hasenfus' alma mater, Lodi High.

Hasenfus has never been to a Gonzaga game though, saying it's nearly impossible to get tickets if you are not a student there.

As for life in Spokane, Hasenfus says it's quite the change of pace from California.

"I chose to go to Whitworth just because it's something I've never experienced before," he said. "Life's a lot slower, it's a lot colder, and there's different things you don't necessarily have to deal with in California. You don't really have that backing from the community or your parents that you had back home. It's definitely been a transition for me.

"The thing I like most about it is how friendly everyone is; people are a lot more easygoing."

Hasenfus, a marketing major, says he plans to stay in Spokane once he graduates in the spring, unless he gets an opportunity to continue his basketball career.

"I'm going to get my real estate license this summer with a few friends," he said. "We're going to spend time investing and selling houses, and work our way into resort management, like ski resorts, and go from there."

First published: Tuesday, January 23, 2007