NBA Draft Profiles: Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame

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Stats: 18.4 ppg, 4.3 apg, 43.5 3PT%

Age: 23, Senior

Size:

• Listed: 6’3”, 205 lb
• Official: N/A

Strengths: There are some things that Tyler's little brother does very well on a basketball court. First and foremost, he can flat out shoot the ball and should have no problem adjusting to the NBA's three point line. He can hit the shot off the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. Hansbrough also, like his brother, has great intangibles. He's a terrific on-court leader and a fiery competitor, capable of running an offense. He's smart with a high basketball IQ, which is important for a guy that projects as a back-up point guard.

Weaknesses: Simply put, he's not an NBA-level athlete. He's not explosive and he's not all that quick. He was able to use his dribble to get where he needed to be at the collegiate level, but he won't be beating people off the dribble in the league. Defensively, he was solid at Notre Dame, using strength and an understanding of angles to stay in front of his man. He did excel at defending off the ball, as he was Mike Brey's best perimeter defender and usually guarded an opponent's best scorer.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Steve Blake. May not sound like much, but coaches love to have a reliable signal caller who they can trust to run their team and keep it going with the second unit. Ben is probably a much better shot maker than Blake however, but similar type game in terms of hustle, heart and skill set.


• Worst Case Scenario: Anthony Carter. Never been a real standout, but always been a steady presence in the
  league who could play the 1 or 2, and plays tough D. Never a great player, but the former Hawaii standout is one you can trust to make good decisions on the floor and keep your team in it.

Outlook: Hansbrough may not look like much of a haul for a team in the 2011 NBA Draft, but he’s a solid player and you know exactly what you’re getting from him. Hansbrough is a shooter who gets the job down knocking down open looks from 3 and will have little trouble adjusting to NBA range. Steadily improved his marksmanship year to year and should be very solid shooting the ball off the catch and shoot. Did an excellent job running the offense for the Fighting Irish as an extension of their coach and knows how to facilitate a game pretty well. Isn’t an ankle breaking ball handler off the dribble, but can get where he needs to. Hansbrough was the 2010-11 Big East Player of the Year over Kemba Walker, which says something about how highly regarded a player he was in probably the best conference in the NCAA. Has all the tools to be a solid back up PG in the league. He’s older, more mature, disciplined, and more coachable than most of the guys in the Draft, and while he doesn’t have really much upside, he carries no risk. A fiery player who can run the show for your team and make shots, and that should be worthy of a mid second round selection in 2011.

Draft Range: Mid-Late Second Round, picks 45-60

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "Hansbrough may not be the sexiest prospect in the draft, but he's one of the most productive. Hansbrough has been one of the Top 10 players in the country this year, and does just about everything for his team. He'll never fit the physical profile that NBA scouts are looking for, but his toughness and shooting ability are a big plus. Think of him as a smaller version of his brother, Tyler."


• Draft Express: "Hansbrough is exactly the type of college prospect many NBA types tend to shy away from. There will be plenty of question marks about his defense and his effectiveness at creating scoring opportunities at the next level. With that said, his work ethic, which is reportedly legendary, his competitiveness (we should know by now after Tyler), and his productivity (Big East Player of the Year) cannot be ignored, particularly considering the level of play he competed at in the Big East."


• Swish Scout: "Solid PG prospect who can run the show as a back up with his spot up shooting, court vision, and intensity to help instill a winning mentality for a teams second unit. Average athlete who will struggle to get his own shot at the next level, but Hansbrough is a pure competitor with the ability to hit big shots and make his teammates better with his presence."

Highlights: