I would never say that Tyler Hansbrough is the best player in North Carolina's illustrious history. Guys like Phil Ford, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Antawn Jamison and others are right there with him in the argument. There hasn't been a player more decorated than Psycho T, however. An All-American for, likely, four seasons. ACC and National player of the year awards. Conference scoring and rebounding titles. He is the Tar Heels' all-time leading scorer and could topple J.J. Redick as the ACC's scoring leader. He already owns the NCAA record for made free throws.
I know it seems as if Hansbrough has been at Carolina for 10 years but remember the time right as he got to Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels has just won the 2005 NCAA Tournament and was watching stars Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams leave early for the NBA. Add that to the graduations of Jackie Manuel, Jawad Williams and Melvin Scott and the Heels lost their top seven scorers from that title team.
Hansbrough wasn't even the highest regarded prospect in the ACC (Duke's Josh McRoberts was). That Carolina team was picked by many to be a bubble team that needed its youngster to grow up in a hurry for them to have any chance to defend their title.
He, along with fellow freshmen Danny Green, Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard joined holdovers David Noel and Reyshawn Terry to become a No. 3 seed in the East Regional and a buzzworthy darkhorse to win the title. The signature moment of the season was in the final regular season game. Hansbrough's Heels went into Duke on J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams' senior night and beat the highly ranked Blue Devils. They would go on to lose to George Mason in the second round of the tournament.
Since that time, Hansbrough has led this team to a couple of No. 1 seeds in the dance, one Final Four, two Elite Eights. He never lost in his four trips to Cameron Indoor Stadium, is 5-2 against the hated rivals in his career and has two ACC regular season and tournament titles (a win over Duke on Sunday gives UNC another season title and the top seed in the conference tournament). Due to his National Player of the Year award, his No. 50 will be retired in the already crowded rafters at the Dean Dome.
Sunday is senior night in Chapel Hill and it should be an emotional and proud day for Heels fans. Hard to believe that this will be the last time that Hansbrough will play in that building again. That was the floor in which he poured 40 points on Georgia Tech as a freshman. That is where he dunked on 7'9 Kenny George. That's where his nose was broken by a Gerald Henderson elbow in the last time that these two closed out the season at the Dean Smith Center.
The weird thing is how many people are sleeping on Hansbrough this year. Due to Psycho T overkill, people are tired of hearing about how great he is and concentrate on what he will be at the next level. The time for that is in June when the NBA Draft comes; I'd like to look back to what he has meant to the Carolina program. It is very rare to see a guy come in and dominate as a freshman and have it last four years. Guys like Jordan, Jamison and Joseph Forte have come in as freshmen and taken the league by storm but none of them got to have a senior night.
I'm not underestimating what Frasor and Green's impact has been on this program too. Both have been key members who have given a lot to fill certain team roles. Remember that if not for an injury to Ginyard, Green would have probably spent his entire Carolina career as a sixth man. Remember that Frasor was the team's starting point guard until Ty Lawson rolled into town. Both will be important parts of what Carolina will become in March and April.
But this will forever be known as the Hansbrough Era in Chapel Hill. As a Heels fan, I'd just like to say 'thank you' to Psycho T for what he has done for the program. It's rare to find a guy who gives as much as he has to a college program. Hopefully he can give them the ultimate team prize of a 2009 NCAA Championship.
Even if he doesn't, it has been one heck of ride!
I know it seems as if Hansbrough has been at Carolina for 10 years but remember the time right as he got to Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels has just won the 2005 NCAA Tournament and was watching stars Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams leave early for the NBA. Add that to the graduations of Jackie Manuel, Jawad Williams and Melvin Scott and the Heels lost their top seven scorers from that title team.
Hansbrough wasn't even the highest regarded prospect in the ACC (Duke's Josh McRoberts was). That Carolina team was picked by many to be a bubble team that needed its youngster to grow up in a hurry for them to have any chance to defend their title.
He, along with fellow freshmen Danny Green, Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard joined holdovers David Noel and Reyshawn Terry to become a No. 3 seed in the East Regional and a buzzworthy darkhorse to win the title. The signature moment of the season was in the final regular season game. Hansbrough's Heels went into Duke on J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams' senior night and beat the highly ranked Blue Devils. They would go on to lose to George Mason in the second round of the tournament.
Since that time, Hansbrough has led this team to a couple of No. 1 seeds in the dance, one Final Four, two Elite Eights. He never lost in his four trips to Cameron Indoor Stadium, is 5-2 against the hated rivals in his career and has two ACC regular season and tournament titles (a win over Duke on Sunday gives UNC another season title and the top seed in the conference tournament). Due to his National Player of the Year award, his No. 50 will be retired in the already crowded rafters at the Dean Dome.
Sunday is senior night in Chapel Hill and it should be an emotional and proud day for Heels fans. Hard to believe that this will be the last time that Hansbrough will play in that building again. That was the floor in which he poured 40 points on Georgia Tech as a freshman. That is where he dunked on 7'9 Kenny George. That's where his nose was broken by a Gerald Henderson elbow in the last time that these two closed out the season at the Dean Smith Center.
The weird thing is how many people are sleeping on Hansbrough this year. Due to Psycho T overkill, people are tired of hearing about how great he is and concentrate on what he will be at the next level. The time for that is in June when the NBA Draft comes; I'd like to look back to what he has meant to the Carolina program. It is very rare to see a guy come in and dominate as a freshman and have it last four years. Guys like Jordan, Jamison and Joseph Forte have come in as freshmen and taken the league by storm but none of them got to have a senior night.
I'm not underestimating what Frasor and Green's impact has been on this program too. Both have been key members who have given a lot to fill certain team roles. Remember that if not for an injury to Ginyard, Green would have probably spent his entire Carolina career as a sixth man. Remember that Frasor was the team's starting point guard until Ty Lawson rolled into town. Both will be important parts of what Carolina will become in March and April.
But this will forever be known as the Hansbrough Era in Chapel Hill. As a Heels fan, I'd just like to say 'thank you' to Psycho T for what he has done for the program. It's rare to find a guy who gives as much as he has to a college program. Hopefully he can give them the ultimate team prize of a 2009 NCAA Championship.
Even if he doesn't, it has been one heck of ride!
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