Amani Hansberry knows West Virginia is undersized and undermanned compared to other teams at the five position. He doesn't let that affect him, though, trusting his process and his game to get the job done for the Mountaineers.
Standing at 6-foot-8, Hansberry does not bring traditional size to the center position, but his attributes and ability to space the floor is something that has shown itself this season.
"As long as I'm doing my job early or doing my work early, then it's not so difficult. My length and my ability to root guys out from the knees down has definitely helped me and has been able to allow me to play in the post for as long as I have and be successful at it," Hansberry said of being undersized.
Hansberry came to the Mountaineers from Illinois. A Maryland native, Hansberry is closer to home and is starting to feel at home at West Virginia.
"Being able to space the floor, play inside out, pass the ball from the top of the key, play a two-man game with [Javon Small]; Definitely been what I expected and a little bit more, actually," Hansberry said of his first few months as a Mountaineer.
Hansberry might be the x-factor for West Virginia throughout Big 12 play this season. Having him on the court allows head coach Darian DeVries to have five shooters on the floor at one time, and it also allows him to be able to cause problems for opposing defenses as well.
Hansberry knows it's important for him to stay on the floor, and he has a way to make sure he tries to stay out of foul trouble.
"I really play carefree until I pick up the first one, and once I pick up the first one, it's more, okay, I got to watch what I do here. I got to look out for the hook and holds, do my work a little bit earlier, show hands, and talk to the refs to make sure we're all on the same page." Hansberry said.
Hansberry knows he's undersized, but the lessons he learned as a kid are still relevant today in the effort he plays with on the court.
"I feel like it just shows up in my passion in the way I play, how hard I play. Being undersized, you have to have passion. It's not about the size of the dog but the size of the dog's heart. It was definitely instilled in me at an early age. My dad always said if you're going to do something, you're going to do something with all your will, you're going to put your best foot towards it. I try to do that not just with basketball, but outside of basketball, in anything I do in life, that's my main focus," Hansberry said.
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