Senior point guard shoulders the load for GVSU

By BRYCE DEROUIN

Updated: November 7, 2012, 4:35 PM

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GVSU’s Breland Hogan rises and fires over three defenders last season.

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When the Grand Valley State University men’s basketball team takes the court this year, it’ll have a familiar face directing the offense.

Senior point guard Breland Hogan has grown over the course of his career at GVSU and is ready to lead the Lakers into another season.

After becoming a starter in the second half of the season his freshman year, Hogan has taken on a bigger leadership role with the team each year.

“Breland’s really been a solid player for us,” said GVSU head coach Ric Wesley. “(He) really has a great personality and a way of getting along with people. The guys really respect him because, obviously, he’s a hard worker and a veteran guy, and he takes care of his business. He has a great amount of respect throughout our program. It’s because of his work and time that he’s put in and the matter that he goes about his business.”

Last season, Hogan led the Lakers in assists (89), steals (39) and free throw percentage (82.7 percent). He had the fifth best assist-to-turnover ratio in the GLIAC at 2.1 and averaged 9.9 points per game, scoring in double digits in 16 of 27 games. Hogan also went on to average 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

“Since my freshman year, I’ve grown a lot on and off the court,” Hogan said. “I can say that I’m definitely a better player now — a more complete player. Since my freshman year, I had to identify my role on the team and what was expected out of me as a point guard.”

Hogan has adjusted his game over the years to fit the team and adapt to the college level. Hogan has continued to grow as a player each year, as his numbers will show. His averages in points, rebounds and assists have grown each subsequent year.

“He made the adjustments to being a great team player, facilitator and someone who makes his teammates better,” Wesley said. “He runs our offense. He can score and defend well, but his primary job is to be the coach on the floor, playmaker and our primary ball handler.”

Hogan’s skill as a team leader has also grown each year.

“As far as being a leader, you got to be quick to listen,” Hogan said. “You always got to be available to teammates and be a role model on and off the court. The team is basically a reflection of you and whatever you do, those will follow. When they need direction, or when they sometimes can’t get it from the coach. They can come to me as a leader and I can fill them in from what I know.”

Senior Tony Peters — who arrived in the same recruiting class as Hogan — has seen firsthand the maturation and evolution of his teammate as a leader and a player.

“It took him awhile, but he grew into the leadership role,” Peters said. “He learned how to talk to people over the years and he figured it out and how to adapt to the people around him. He approaches everyone different as an individual. That helps him.”

For Hogan, he is focused on using everything he learned at GVSU and putting it all into his final season. He doesn’t want to leave GVSU with any regrets.

“I just want to go out and have fun,” he said. “I don’t want to regret nothing. I just want to leave it out on the court every game and each and every practice.”
bderouin@lanthorn.com

Published November 7, 2012 Sports