Hot Prospect: Tyler Hansbrough

Posted by admin on June 05, 2009

North Carolina ● Senior ● Forward ● 6-9 ● 250 ● 11/3/85

Highlights: The most decorated and honored player in Carolina Basketball history… Helped lead the Tar Heels to the 2009 NCAA championship… First player since 1985 and the 14th since 1945 to earn consensus first-team All-America honors three times… First three-time consensus All-America since Oklahoma’s Wayman Tisdale and Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing in 1985… The 2008 National Player of the Year is the only player in ACC history to earn first-team All-America and first-team all-league honors four times… ACC’s all-time leading scorer with 2,872 points, a record he set against Radford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

2008-09 (Senior): Co-MVP of the Tar Heels with Ty Lawson… Consensus first-team All-America for the third year in a row… Earned first-team All-America honors from The Associated Press (second time), The Sporting News (fourth time), the USBWA (third time) and the NABC (third time), sweeping first team honors on the four teams the NCAA uses to determine consensus honors… Also a first-team All-Amerca by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, Sports Il¬lustrated and Rupp… A finalist for National Player of the Year honors by the USBWA, Naismith and Wooden Awards… Finished second in the voting for the 2009 Wooden Award… Diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right shin on October 30, 2008… That forced him to sit out the first two games of the year (Penn and Ken¬tucky), the first he missed at UNC… Turned his left ankle while driving to the basket just minutes into his first game of the year at UC Santa Barbara… Sat out two more games against Chaminade and UNC Asheville to rest both injuries… Finished second in the ACC in scoring at 20.7 points a game, sixth in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and rebounding… Scored 20 or more points 21 times, including seven of the last 14 games… Had six double-doubles in the last 12 games… Made a career-best 28 straight free throws earlier in the year and shot a career-best 84.1 percent from the free throw line (249 for 296)… Third straight year he improved his free throw accuracy (from 73.9 as a freshman to 76.8, 80.6, 84.1).

2007-08 (Junior): Set UNC and tied ACC single-season record by scoring in double figures in 39 games (previous record was 36 by Montross in 1993 and Jamison in 1998; ACC record is 39 by Hansbrough and Duke’s Mark Alarie and Johnny Dawkins in 1985-86)… Scored 882 points, second-most in history in one season by a Tar Heel (Rosenbluth had 895 in 1956-57)… Was second in total points in the NCAA behind Davidson’s Stephen Curry (931)… Scored 20 or more points 27 times, including 13 of the last 18 games… Scored 20 or more points in nine consecutive games from Feb. 3 to March 4, the longest such streak by a Tar Heel since Michael Jordan did it nine times in a row in 1983-84 (tied the fifth-longest streak in UNC history)… Grabbed 52 rebounds in a three-game span against Florida State, Duke and Clemson, the most by a Tar Heel since Rusty Clark had 53 in 1968… One of only three Tar Heels (with Clark and Billy Cunningham) to ever pull down that many rebounds in three straight games… Had 399 rebounds, a single-season UNC record (Sean May had 397 in 2005)… Led the ACC in scoring and rebounding… Was 12th nationally in scoring and 17th in rebounding… First player to lead the ACC in both categories since Tim Duncan and Antawn Jamison accomplished it in 1996-97 and 1997-98, respectively… Is the fourth Tar Heel and 10th ACC player to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same year (with Pete Brennan in 1957-58, Billy Cunningham in 1963-64 and 1964-65 and Jamison)… Joined Cunningham as the only Tar Heels to ever lead UNC in scoring and rebounding in three consecutive seasons.

2006-07 (Sophomore): Consensus 2007 first-team All-America (NABC, USBWA, Sporting News), UNC’s first consensus All-America since Joseph Forte in 2001… Also earned second-team All-America honors from the Associated Press, ESPN.com and Basketball Times… Voted UNC’s Most Valuable Player by his teammates and coaches… Unanimous first-team All-ACC selection for the second consecutive year… Third in voting for ACC Player of the Year honors, but the only ACC player to earn first-team All-America honors… Averaged 19.8 points in regular season ACC play… Averaged 21.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament… His 33 points against Michigan State in the second round equalled the single-game scoring high by any player in the 2007 NCAA Tournament (Oregon’s Tajuan Porter had 33 vs. UNLV)… Averaged 19.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in UNC’s seven losses… UNC’s defensive player of the game six times… Scored in double figures in 33 games and scored 20 or more points 17 times… Led the team and was second in the ACC in rebounds (7.9 per game)… Grabbed double figures in rebounds 11 times (13 or more seven times)… Was sixth in the ACC in field goal percentage and ninth in free throw percentage… One of three players to rank in the Top 10 in both field goal and free throw accuracy… Was second on the team in steals with 41… Attempted 10 or more free throws 14 times…  Made 24 consecutive free throws from Jan. 31 to Feb. 10… He made 242 free throws and attempted 315 free throws, the second-highest single-season marks in Carolina history.

2005-06 (Freshman): Only player in ACC history to earn first-team All-America honors as a freshman… First-team All-America by The Sporting News and Rupp and third-team All-America by the Associated Press, NABC and Basketball Times… Only the third ACC freshman to earn AP All-America honors (any team)… Was the USBWA, ESPN.com, The Sporting News and Basketball Times National Freshman of the Year… ACC Rookie of the Year (unanimous)… The first freshman to earn unanimous first-team All-ACC honors in league history… Sixth player to earn first-team All-ACC honors as a freshman… Had the fourth-highest scoring average by a freshman in ACC history (highest by a Tar Heel) at 18.9 per game… Was second in the ACC in scoring behind J.J. Redick… Only one freshman ever finished as high in ACC scoring… Carolina’s seventh ACC Rookie of the Year… NABC and USBWA All-District selection… Led the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.58 per game), was second in scoring (18.9), fifth in field goal percentage (.570) and sixth in rebounding (7.8)… Led Carolina in scoring, field goal percentage, rebounding, steals (38) and trips to the free throw line (187 of 253, 73.9 percent)… First UNC post player to lead in steals since Scott Williams in 1987-88… First Tar Heel freshman to lead the team in scoring and rebounding.

Is he Jazz material?

15 Comments

Trent on June 05, 2009 said:

Tyler is solid and a hard worker. I think he would be great for the Jazz, assuming there will be any room at the power forward position.

Brian McCann on June 05, 2009 said:

Absolutely. I think worth trading up for, especially if Boozer walks.

Will on June 06, 2009 said:

This guy just has Jazz written all over him, even down to the uniform. He would just ‘fit’ in a Jazz uniform.

The only issue (or fear, I guess) I have with him is I feel like he’s the next JJ Redick. Amazingly skilled and gifted but won’t translate in the NBA

tman11 on June 06, 2009 said:

Ok for one you wont have to trade up to get this kid, there is other guys going before him that sets him down to wherethe jazz pick is. Second JJ never got a chance he got on bad grounds with the GM so he got thrown to the bottom of the line up he did decent this year and will eventually come into his own. I agree this kid runs his life like he belongs in utah perfect good kid stays in school got his degree smart nice no problems off the court but, what about on the court. What is he going to do when some big guy goes up and knock him back on his butt. How will he reaspond to this? I’m just not sure if he is strong enough to be in a jazz uniform. He would be great in a pick and role offence he has got a decent shot. and dibble drive. but the in your face defence and, post up skills really scares me cause the jazz love to post guys up get it inside and, i don’t think Tyler is strong enough and skilled enough to do that on an NBA level. we got Fesinco and Kosta get a piont guard cause we lost alot last year when brevin went into the game i don’t want to see that again.

Chace on June 07, 2009 said:

I totally think he should go to the Jazz. I’ve said that since last year!

Clark on June 07, 2009 said:

Having seen Hansbrough play in person on several occasions, I will take an easy pass on this guy. He is an incredibly hard worker and very tough and decently athletic, but the guy really doesn’t have much game outside of 10 feet. He scored on almost exclusively dunks and tipins and little jumpers over smaller defenders. He played on a team who had some of the most possessions per game in college and he only averaged 8 rebounds a game. That will translate to about 4 or 5 in the NBA. He will have to learn to shoot a smooth 18-20 foot jumper before he will be effective offensively. Mark my words: he is the next Mark Madsen or Paul Davis or Melvin Ely.

tman11 on June 07, 2009 said:

i agree i scouted him about 3 or 4 times and, he just doesn’t fit the bill. If we do make a move on a big man i think u go for a BJ mulluns or, Austin dayne they seem to have the most talent as far as a big goes where the jazz are picking.

Nelson on June 08, 2009 said:

Very hard worker, standing at only 6′9 I think he might be the last thing we need. I’ll pass.

tman11 on June 09, 2009 said:

he needs an outside shot being small like he is. at best he would be anther milsap and, milsap showed us last season he can’t last a full season why draft a guy in the first round if he can’t even last a whole year.

Dave on June 12, 2009 said:

I think he was great in college but not big or strong enough to help the Jazz. They do need help at the 4 but he’s too soft.

Davey Boi on June 14, 2009 said:

The kid was on a championship caliber team his whole career in the thick of the tournament every season, Utah needs to bring in winners and guys that hustle often. Carlos doesn’t appear to hustle and doesnt look hungry often. Tyler is young perhaps he can be moulded even further I see a player like this as a prototypical Utah Jazz player and it doesnt matter if we dont think he’s strong enough.. If the Jazz like him and he fits their bill well they will probably pull the trigger if he’s sitting at that spot.

rikki on June 15, 2009 said:

this would be a great pick for the jazz

tman11 on June 15, 2009 said:

Rikki please do explain your reasoning behind this being a good pick for the jazz. He is not strong enough he is to passive, he doesn’t have any outside game what so ever and, he can’t run the pick and role or play defence hardly at all. I think you get a guy like Eric Maynor that’s who the jazz should pick the kids a piont guard and, he can score it give you alot of spark off the bench for when Dwill isn’t out there.
Davey boi the reason why they were in thick thick of things every year was because alll there starters stuck around you have Ty Lawson and, Danny Green who both stuck around with Tyler. If you have three guys stick around to finish off there colleges carrers and all three are going to get drafted. You bettr be in the thick of things every year you should of had anther championship then what they did. I’ll give it to ya tyler was great in college but all the signs say it’s not going to tranferr over to the next level he is to big of a project to take on.

Jose on June 15, 2009 said:

It would be a great pick for the jazz, he will be greater player as the years go on of course college and the nba are two different levels this kid will be able to handle it

tman11 on June 15, 2009 said:

i dont think he will be able to. He is way to passive, he also didn’t improve for his junior year to his senior year. Tell me if i’m worng but i thought your stats were supoose to get better from year to year. Anther note this guy was player of the year why is he going 20th over all that tells me some things wrong with him. if i was a former NCAA player of the year i would make sure i go top 10

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