University of Minnesota Athletics
House of Hagen: Senior Center Jeff Hagen
2/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Entering the game off the bench, Hagen received rousing ovation from the Golden Gopher faithful and it wasn't long before the student section began to belt out their tribute. As "House of Hagen, House of Hagen" echoed throughout Williams Arena, Hagen quietly went about his business, drawing praise from one of college basketball's most successful coaches, Tom Izzo.
"You've got to give Number 42 credit for even playing," Izzo said. "It's a heroic deal. I admire people like that. He sucked it up for his team. He is one of the more improved players in the conference, if not the most-improved. He's hurt and he scored on us. I'd hate to see what he would do to us if he was healthy. Hopefully, he'll get healthy quick. They are going to beat a lot of people up here."
Hagen came to the "U" in 2000 after a successful career at Hopkins High School. He played in 26 games his freshman year averaging just under 10 minutes per game. The Golden Gopher coaching staff knew Hagen had potential to become a solid contributor. He doesn't run the fastest or jump the highest, but Hagen is an intelligent player who wants to get better and help the team in any way, assistant coach Vic Couch said. So Hagen was offered a scholarship halfway through his sophomore year, a dream come true for the Minnesota native.
During his career, Hagen has improved more than any other athlete Couch has been around. And despite a series of ankle and knee injuries throughout his career, Hagen is quicker, stronger and more confident than ever before. But he also has improved his leadership skills with the team, and now that he is a senior, Hagen carries the responsibility of helping others improve as well. Fellow post player Spencer Tollackson has credited Hagen for helping him adjust to the rigors of college basketball and the coaches know they can rely on Hagen to be a vocal leader during practice and in games. "He'll pull me aside and tell me how things aren't always going to go my way. That I just need to keep a good positive attitude and stay positive," Tollackson said.
"He's always been a really good verbal guy for us, especially on the floor," Couch said. "But as a senior, as his confidence grew and he saw that with his role on this team he had to be a leader. He embraced that and he's grown with that, and quite frankly he's really good at it."
It's not very common that a team's floor general is a 7-foot center, but Hagen is exactly that, becoming an extension of the coaches on the floor. Hagen knows every offensive play for all five positions, so he is able to direct traffic and keep the offense in sync. Hagen's knowledge of the game is perhaps his greatest attribute.
"We see all these passes that he makes. We see all the shots he makes. We see all the blocks he gets and all the rebounds. But most fans don't see what he does as far as keeping our team together, keeping them in the offense, talking to them, telling them where to go and keeping them together defensively," Couch said.
While gaining confidence and experience through the last four years, Hagen has become more aggressive on the offensive side of the court. Before the 2004-05 season, Hagen's career-high for points in a game was 16. Already this year he has matched that mark five times. Hagen is averaging 11.7 points and five rebounds per game this season, more than double his career average in both categories.
So what makes Hagen work so hard? Why has a player who has averaged just over 11 minutes per game for his career now a key contributor on the offensive and defensive ends?
"His love for the game and his love for his teammates, that's really what keeps him going," Couch said.
Even after the 2003-04 season, when it would've been easy for a player in his position to hang his head, Hagen came into this season with renewed energy and a fresh attitude. Now he is the second-leading scorer for a team that has already surpassed its win total from a year ago. And for Hagen, that's what it's all about, putting wins on the board. Hagen admits that playing for the Golden Gophers, not the NBA or other professional leagues, is his focus. That's why it's almost easy for him to completely dedicate himself the program and the coaches' philosophies.
One philosophy that the team has followed this year is to have fun. "This has been one of the most fun years I've had playing basketball," Hagen said. "Everyone has worked so hard and everyone has been so unselfish. It's all about the team. No one is out for themselves and it's a great thing to be part of. That makes it so much fun to go practice everyday and play in games because you know you've got a shot to beat any team in the country when you're playing like that."
Speaking of, back to the Michigan State game, where the Golden Gophers had a shot at knocking off the nation's 16th-ranked team. Although Hagen played with a significant limp, his post moves were smooth and his jumpshot was on. In last year's battle with the Spartans at Williams Arena, Hagen had two points in 13 minutes. This time around he led the Maroon and Gold in scoring and rebounding, and his will to play through pain was an inspiration to his teammates.
Hagen's dedication and desire to win haven't gone unnoticed by Golden Gopher fans. Rarely does a game go by without hearing the "House of Hagen" chant, a gesture greatly appreciated by Hagen.
"I love it. Those guys (student section) are terrific, just like all the fans," Hagen said. "They're showing us support, even when we were picked to finish towards the bottom, they were there every game trying to be as wild as they can be," Hagen said.
Hagen said that it is an honor to be chosen by the fans as someone the fans root for. It's an awesome experience, something that makes Hagen feel respected and wanted, he said. The fact that Hagen is a fan-favorite doesn't surprise Couch. He says Golden Gopher fans are amongst the best in the country. They are loyal to the University of Minnesota, but they are especially loyal to Minnesota kids, Couch said.
"Jeff, being from Hopkins, is obviously a fan-favorite. But also the fact that he walked-on here and showed true commitment to be a Golden Gopher. He turned down some other schools to walk-on here and put his faith in this program. Those fans are just repaying him for that," Couch said.
Hagen says that he can't imagine himself playing anywhere else and that the chance to play basketball in front of family and friends every game is the best opportunity in the world. Like many Minnesota children, Hagen grew up following the Golden Gophers. To be such a major part of the basketball program is nothing short of a dream-come-true for Hagen. An Inter-college program major with an emphasis on psychology and coaching, Hagen has no immediate plans for life after basketball. He will explore playing at the professional level, but he's having too much fun and too focused on this year's team to start worrying about that, he said.
No matter what Hagen does after this season, whether it's playing or coaching or something totally unrelated to basketball, Hagen will display the team-first attitude and dedication that he has over the last five years at the University of Minnesota. And while his playing days at the "U" are numbered, Hagen's impact on the program will not soon be forgotten. Because of Hagen's selflessness, hard-work and love of the game, Williams Arena will always be the "House of Hagen."
story by Kevin Morales, athletic communications student assistant The January 22 game against Michigan State was the quintessential performance of Jeff Hagen's career. Hagen, who suffered a sprain of his medial collateral ligament at Ohio State, was a game-time decision and most figured he would be used sparingly. Not only did the senior center play 26 minutes, he led all scorers with 16 points. He displayed the heart, dedication and love for the game that have transformed him into a Golden Gophers fan-favorite.
Entering the game off the bench, Hagen received rousing ovation from the Golden Gopher faithful and it wasn't long before the student section began to belt out their tribute. As "House of Hagen, House of Hagen" echoed throughout Williams Arena, Hagen quietly went about his business, drawing praise from one of college basketball's most successful coaches, Tom Izzo.
"You've got to give Number 42 credit for even playing," Izzo said. "It's a heroic deal. I admire people like that. He sucked it up for his team. He is one of the more improved players in the conference, if not the most-improved. He's hurt and he scored on us. I'd hate to see what he would do to us if he was healthy. Hopefully, he'll get healthy quick. They are going to beat a lot of people up here."
Hagen came to the "U" in 2000 after a successful career at Hopkins High School. He played in 26 games his freshman year averaging just under 10 minutes per game. The Golden Gopher coaching staff knew Hagen had potential to become a solid contributor. He doesn't run the fastest or jump the highest, but Hagen is an intelligent player who wants to get better and help the team in any way, assistant coach Vic Couch said. So Hagen was offered a scholarship halfway through his sophomore year, a dream come true for the Minnesota native.
During his career, Hagen has improved more than any other athlete Couch has been around. And despite a series of ankle and knee injuries throughout his career, Hagen is quicker, stronger and more confident than ever before. But he also has improved his leadership skills with the team, and now that he is a senior, Hagen carries the responsibility of helping others improve as well. Fellow post player Spencer Tollackson has credited Hagen for helping him adjust to the rigors of college basketball and the coaches know they can rely on Hagen to be a vocal leader during practice and in games. "He'll pull me aside and tell me how things aren't always going to go my way. That I just need to keep a good positive attitude and stay positive," Tollackson said.
"He's always been a really good verbal guy for us, especially on the floor," Couch said. "But as a senior, as his confidence grew and he saw that with his role on this team he had to be a leader. He embraced that and he's grown with that, and quite frankly he's really good at it."
It's not very common that a team's floor general is a 7-foot center, but Hagen is exactly that, becoming an extension of the coaches on the floor. Hagen knows every offensive play for all five positions, so he is able to direct traffic and keep the offense in sync. Hagen's knowledge of the game is perhaps his greatest attribute.
"We see all these passes that he makes. We see all the shots he makes. We see all the blocks he gets and all the rebounds. But most fans don't see what he does as far as keeping our team together, keeping them in the offense, talking to them, telling them where to go and keeping them together defensively," Couch said.
While gaining confidence and experience through the last four years, Hagen has become more aggressive on the offensive side of the court. Before the 2004-05 season, Hagen's career-high for points in a game was 16. Already this year he has matched that mark five times. Hagen is averaging 11.7 points and five rebounds per game this season, more than double his career average in both categories.
So what makes Hagen work so hard? Why has a player who has averaged just over 11 minutes per game for his career now a key contributor on the offensive and defensive ends?
"His love for the game and his love for his teammates, that's really what keeps him going," Couch said.
Even after the 2003-04 season, when it would've been easy for a player in his position to hang his head, Hagen came into this season with renewed energy and a fresh attitude. Now he is the second-leading scorer for a team that has already surpassed its win total from a year ago. And for Hagen, that's what it's all about, putting wins on the board. Hagen admits that playing for the Golden Gophers, not the NBA or other professional leagues, is his focus. That's why it's almost easy for him to completely dedicate himself the program and the coaches' philosophies.
One philosophy that the team has followed this year is to have fun. "This has been one of the most fun years I've had playing basketball," Hagen said. "Everyone has worked so hard and everyone has been so unselfish. It's all about the team. No one is out for themselves and it's a great thing to be part of. That makes it so much fun to go practice everyday and play in games because you know you've got a shot to beat any team in the country when you're playing like that."
Speaking of, back to the Michigan State game, where the Golden Gophers had a shot at knocking off the nation's 16th-ranked team. Although Hagen played with a significant limp, his post moves were smooth and his jumpshot was on. In last year's battle with the Spartans at Williams Arena, Hagen had two points in 13 minutes. This time around he led the Maroon and Gold in scoring and rebounding, and his will to play through pain was an inspiration to his teammates.
Hagen's dedication and desire to win haven't gone unnoticed by Golden Gopher fans. Rarely does a game go by without hearing the "House of Hagen" chant, a gesture greatly appreciated by Hagen.
"I love it. Those guys (student section) are terrific, just like all the fans," Hagen said. "They're showing us support, even when we were picked to finish towards the bottom, they were there every game trying to be as wild as they can be," Hagen said.
Hagen said that it is an honor to be chosen by the fans as someone the fans root for. It's an awesome experience, something that makes Hagen feel respected and wanted, he said. The fact that Hagen is a fan-favorite doesn't surprise Couch. He says Golden Gopher fans are amongst the best in the country. They are loyal to the University of Minnesota, but they are especially loyal to Minnesota kids, Couch said.
"Jeff, being from Hopkins, is obviously a fan-favorite. But also the fact that he walked-on here and showed true commitment to be a Golden Gopher. He turned down some other schools to walk-on here and put his faith in this program. Those fans are just repaying him for that," Couch said.
Hagen says that he can't imagine himself playing anywhere else and that the chance to play basketball in front of family and friends every game is the best opportunity in the world. Like many Minnesota children, Hagen grew up following the Golden Gophers. To be such a major part of the basketball program is nothing short of a dream-come-true for Hagen. An Inter-college program major with an emphasis on psychology and coaching, Hagen has no immediate plans for life after basketball. He will explore playing at the professional level, but he's having too much fun and too focused on this year's team to start worrying about that, he said.
No matter what Hagen does after this season, whether it's playing or coaching or something totally unrelated to basketball, Hagen will display the team-first attitude and dedication that he has over the last five years at the University of Minnesota. And while his playing days at the "U" are numbered, Hagen's impact on the program will not soon be forgotten. Because of Hagen's selflessness, hard-work and love of the game, Williams Arena will always be the "House of Hagen."
story by Kevin Morales, athletic communications student assistant
