October 2, 2015 After a sensational freshman season with Bishop Heelan, and a summer ripping down rebounds and scoring at a high clip for the Iowa Barnstormers, Elijah Hazekamp has found himself on the radars of a bevy of Midwest…
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After a sensational freshman season with Bishop Heelan, and a summer ripping down rebounds and scoring at a high clip for the Iowa Barnstormers, Elijah Hazekamp has found himself on the radars of a bevy of Midwest Division I schools.
PHI’s 11th-ranked 2018, Hazekamp averaged 10.5 points and 8.5 rebounds last season for the Crusaders — it did not go unnoticed.
“I’ve gotten a few letters from Nebraska and I went to UNI, Drake, and Creighton (elite) camps.The USD assistant coach came down to an open gym, and I think he’s planning on coming to a couple more,” said Hazekamp, who says rebounding and scoring is where he excelled this offseason.
“I was probably one of the best rebounders and one of the leading scorers with the Barnstormers, so I really contributed in those areas. And I like to hustle, I like to dive on the floor for loose balls, and get my team extra possessions — stuff like that.”
“My jump shot has gotten a lot better, I worked on that a lot, and I saw a big improvement in it this summer.”
The 6-foot-5 forward will continue to develop his skills on the perimeter, he says that’s where he’ll likely play at the next level.
“I would say definitely my ball-handling I need to improve on, and then getting more consistent with my jump shot,” said Hazekamp, who is looking forward to having an increased role during his upcoming sophomore season.
“I’ll have to take on more of a scoring and a leadership role this year,” he said. “The coaches are expecting a lot more from me this year.”