The North Carolina legend is adding another accolade to his illustrious career.
A star from 2005 to 2009, Hansbrough dominated the college basketball ranks. Hansbroughs ability to back you down, face-up and knock down the occasional three made him tough to guard. Once he got going, there was no stopping him. His Tar Heel career was unquestionably one of the greatest in NCAA history. On Tuesday, it was announced that he would be inducted into the Collegiate Hall of Fame.
Hansbrough had this to say about his induction:
“I’m honored to be getting inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame,” says Hansbrough. “Choosing to play at North Carolina was one of the smartest decisions I’ve made. I had the greatest teammates at UNC and want to thank them. I also played for the best coaching staff in college basketball, and I thank Coach Williams and his staff.”
His former coach, Roy Williams, said this about to accomplishment:
“I am thrilled for Tyler Hansbrough and his family,” says Roy Williams, who coached Hansbrough at UNC. “This award is well deserved and comes strictly from effort, hard work and talent. Tyler was one of the most unique players I ever coached, and I never coached anyone that gave more than he did. He tried to be the absolute best he could possibly be in every phase of the game and gave tremendous effort every day. I loved coaching the young man and really look forward to seeing him receive this honor.”
- 2006 ACC Rookie of the Year
- ACC all-time leading scorer
- Fourth-leading scorer in NCAA tournament history
- Four-time first-team All-ACC pick
- Three-time consensus first-team All-America selection
- Unanimous 2008 National Player of the Year
- 2009 National Champion
During his time with the Tar Heels, Hansbrough averaged 20.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and owns the record for the most free throws of any player in NCAA history with 982 made. He lead his teams to a combined 120-22 record, three ACC regular season championships, two ACC Tournament titles and of course the 2009 National Championship.
Hansbrough was the teams leading scorer and rebounder for all four years and is the only player in ACC history to accomplish this feat. Additionally, his jersey hangs in the Smith Center rafters, retired.
Subsequently, Hansbrough was a first round pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He played seven seasons for the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets before opting to play overseas in China and Puerto Rico.
