He played one season in Spain with Real Madrid Baloncesto when they won the 1963–64 FIBA European Champions Cup.

[1] Hanson played college basketball with the Washington Huskies from 1960 to 1962, when the center was a three-time all-conference selection in the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU).

He decided to attend University of Washington, whose basketball coach, Tippy Dye, had helped make center Bob Houbregs an All-American.

[4] He averaged 20.8 points per game during his college career, and left Washington second in scoring in school history behind Houbregs (25.6).

He played one season in Spain before attending business school and working in New York City and California.