Hankins performs at Madison Square Garden
Former Ferris men’s basketball player Zach Hankins and Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) took part in the Big East tournament Thursday, March 14, and Friday, March 15. The Big East tournament was held at the famous Madison Square Garden and Hankins certainly raised his level of play while playing in the United States’ “Mecca” of basketball.
In the opening game of the tournament for the Musketeers, Hankins dominated against Creighton University. He scored 22 points and had nine rebounds against the Blue Jays to go along with two blocks. On top of all that, he had the game-winning tip-in with 29 seconds left in the game to lift Xavier to a victory and a berth in the Big East tournament semifinals.
In the semifinals, Hankins continued his stellar play against Villanova University. He scored 18 points and had six boards against the regular season Big East champs. However, that wasn’t enough for Xavier, as the Musketeers would go on to lose in overtime. While the loss likely eliminated any remaining hope of the Musketeers receiving an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament, Hankins displayed his undeniable abilities during the game.
Malik Taylor shines at Central Michigan Pro Day
Three Ferris football players participated in their pro days Friday, March 15, in advance of the National Football League (NFL) draft to be held late April. The players traveled to local Central Michigan University to get a chance to shine in front of NFL scouts as they hope to continue their football careers.
Ferris wide receiver Malik Taylor was one of the three and posted some great numbers. Standing at six feet two inches and weighing in at 211 pounds, he showed that he had the size teams are looking for. He displayed the speed to follow it as he ran a blazing 4.44 second 40-yard dash, which would have ranked 12th out of 37 receivers in the NFL combine. He also had a broad jump of 126 inches, which would’ve ranked eighth out of the 42 receivers who participated in the drill.
Taylor’s time of 6.81 seconds in the three cone drill would have ranked fourth out of 29 receivers who did the drill in Indianapolis, while his shuttle time would have been top of the charts over the other 33 participants from the combine. These last two drills were key for Taylor as they showcase a magnicent agility good for evading defenders.