Hansel Emmanuel

Hansel Enmanuel Donato Domínguez, known as Hansel Enmanuel, (born 24 October 2003) is a Dominican college basketball player for the Austin Peay Governors of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). He played high school basketball at Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida, and committed to play college basketball at Northwestern State, transferring after his freshman season.

Hansel went viral in early 2021 for his flashy dunks, passes, three-pointers and athleticism against top high school talent despite having only one arm due to a childhood incident.

Early life Hansel was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to Hansel Salvador Donato and Katia "Katy" Domínguez Pérez, His father had a standout career in the Dominican professional basketball league.

At the age of six, Hansel lost his left arm when a cinderblock wall came down on him and trapped him for two hours, requiring amputation below the shoulder. He was hospitalized for about six months. Despite his life-altering injuries, Hansel said he saw the experience as a "blessing." but later served as one of his biggest supporters. That October, he appeared on national television when he was interviewed on El Show del Mediodía (The Noon Show) on Color Visión.

High school career Hansel moved to the United States in January 2021 after receiving a scholarship to play at Life Christian Academy (LCA) in Kissimmee, Florida. The team's head coach, Moisés Micael, was an old teammate of his father's who saw his videos online and convinced him to make the move. Hansel was a two-year letterwinner at LCA. As a senior, he averaged 25.9 points, 11 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 3.4 blocks per game while helping his team win a Central Florida Christian Academy state title. He also played on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit for SOH Elite. That offer was followed by an offer from Memphis in February 2022.

In June 2022, he announced that he was considering Memphis, Northwestern State and Bethune–Cookman, as well as the Overtime Elite professional league. He committed to Northwestern State on July 23.

College career

Northwestern State Hansel arrived at Northwestern State University in late August 2022, missing summer workouts due to obligations to endorsements. Hansel scored his first career points in his fifth game, a win against Louisiana–Monroe on December 10. He scored five points on two-for-three shooting, including a dunk coming off of an offensive rebound of his own missed free throw.

As a freshman, Hansel appeared in 20 games and started the last five, averaging 1.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game. He entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal in March 2023. He signed a deal with Gatorade, starring in a national commercial spot that aired in June as part of the brand's Fuel Tomorrow campaign.