JEFFERSON TWP — Like he had done hundreds of times before, Austin Hannes left his feet while uncorking a jump shot.

It was the landing that he'll never forget.

Then a sophomore point guard on the Knoch varsity team, Hannes suffered a dislocated kneecap, torn ligament and fractured tibia on the play.

“He just landed awkwardly. It looked gruesome ... I knew it was bad,” Knoch coach Ron McNabb said.

“Fortunately, that seems like a lifetime ago now.”

The injury cost Hannes the final half of his sophomore year and the ensuing AAU season. He underwent seven months of rehab.

“After it happened, I was in a bad place for a while,” Hannes admitted. “I couldn't bring myself to even come watch the games. I thought I'd be able to play again at some point, but I didn't know if I'd ever be the same.”

He's not the same.

He's better — much better.

Hannes was averaging 12 points per game at the time of his injury. He netted 10 points per contest as a junior with the Knights.

“When a kid is out for as long as Austin was, there was going to to be some tentativeness in his play when he first returned,” McNabb said. “It was going to take him a while before he felt comfortable with his game again.

“Now he's the engine that makes us go. No doubt about that.”

Hannes is averaging 16 points per game for Knoch so far this season. He's throwing in a handful of assists and steals per game as well.

At Chartiers Valley Tuesday night, Hannes had 13 points, four assists and three steals. He's scored 15 points against Mars, 18 against Moon, 16 on Montour — along with his share of assists.

“When Austin came back from his injury, we worked with him on his court awareness and vision,” McNabb said. “He's a true playmaker.

“When he drives to the hoop, our perimeter players know to be alert because the ball is coming.”

Hannes plays AAU ball with the Pittsburgh Nets during the high school off-season. He is teammates with a couple of Chartiers Valley players with the Nets and has gotten to know Colts' 1,000-point scoring point guard Roiss Wilkerson through them.

His injury will ultimately coast Hannes any chance at 1,000 points. It has not cost him any of his playing ability.

“He's an outstanding point guard,” longtime Chartiers Valley coach Tim McConnell said. “He makes them go. That kid can penetrate, hit the jumper, dish off — He has a complete game.”

And he's been doing it for a while. Hannes has been a point guard since he was 6 years old playing at the YMCA.

“It's a scramble at that age, kids running around all over the court,” Hannes said, laughing. “But the ball was always in my hands.

“I love the position. I love being in charge, being the quarterback on the court.”

His basketball career won't end with this season. Hannes said he is drawing interest from La Roche, Pitt-Johnstown and Penn State Behrend, among other schools.

He plans to major in marketing.

“And I'll definitely be playing college basketball,” Hannes insisted. “The sport has always been a big part of my life. I need to get stronger with my left hand, a little tougher on defense.”

While many Division III schools are on Hannes, McNabb believes his point guard can play at the Division II level.

“He needs to put on about 10 pounds and get physically stronger,” the coach said. “The day after our season's over, Austin will be in the weight room working at that.

“He knows what he wants and he'll do what it takes to get there.”

Hannes' rehab from injury proved that point.

“I love basketball. I know if I want to keep playing, I have to keep getting better,” he said.