Tyler Hansbrough - NBA Draft Prospects

Numbers: 22.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 1.5 spg, 2.1 t/o's, 54% FG, 81% FT

About Him: Tyler Hansbrough was this year's national player of the year, but he is one of those guys who seems to be cut out for college basketball. He is an unbelievably hard worker, which is the main reason he put up the numbers he did this year. He has some pretty good moves in the post, mainly relying on a half-turn-around half-jump-hook with his right hand (he almost shot puts the ball). This is also the move that gets him to the foul line so much (9.7 attempted per game) because it looks very blockable but he shoots it from such an angle (kind of behind his body) that it is very difficult to get to. He has a knack to being able to hit shots no matter how hard he is fouled or what kind of angle his body is at, but he has a tendency to rely too much on this. A lot of his buckets from a post up come as the result of him just being stronger and working harder than a defender, and this style of play won't work against bigger, stronger, and more athletic defenders in the NBA. His jump shot is also improved, and he probably has range out to the college three-point line. He can face up defenders as well, but has a tendency to just try and muscle his way to the rim. Hansbrough is also a very good offensive rebounder, usually outworking and outmuscling people trying to box him out. He has improved his athleticism this year, and is getting off the floor as well as he ever has, but he is still a so-so athlete. Part of this improved athleticism is that he stream-lined his body, dropping a few pounds, which has allowed him to become quicker as well. He still needs to improve defensively, including things like stopping the pick-and-roll and his close-outs on perimeter players, but it is tough to judge any UNC player defensively because as a team they just didn't seem to care.

Comparisons: David Lee, rich man's Mark Madsen

Bottom Line: Hansbrough is probably never going to be a great NBA player, and by coming back he really is not going to change is draft status all that much. He is probably a first round lock this year, but by coming back he can work his way into the middle of the first round, and maybe even the end of the lottery.