For nearly an entire college basketball season, one player has been the object of my distaste. On the eve of Final Four Saturday, I would like to make amends.
Tyler Hansbrough, please allow me to apologize.
I've called you overrated, unathletic and annoying. I've watched in wonder as referees failed to call offensive fouls on you, even though your shoulder is permanently lodged in the opposition's chest. I've muted the TV or turned up the radio in an effort to escape the incessant praise heaped upon you by objective basketball analysts.
I've spent a season focusing on how you project as a pro. Your "hook shot" won't work against larger defenders. Good luck trying to check the NBA's athletic power forwards all over the court. Quit fooling us, Tyler, everyone knows you're only 6'7 and not 6'8.
If there is a charge to be made against your game, the smart money says I've made it (and yes, on at least one occasion I even fell victim to making the absurd comparison between you and a certain rhythmically challenged former Stanford Cardinal).
A funny thing happened, though, during this NCAA tournament. Maybe hearing over and over again all the stories of your grueling, six-hour offseason workouts finally changed my mind? Perhaps it was the way you used a collection of jumpers, put-backs and post-ups to bully Louisville to the tune of 28 points and 13 rebounds?
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But no, no matter how many SUVs you push in the summer or how impressive your growing list of accolades is, none of these things moved the dial for me.
Instead, after all the double-doubles and clutch plays, I came to an epiphany. I finally came to accept the simple fact that you are a tremendous college basketball player.
Will you be a great, good, or just serviceable pro? I don’t know the answer to that question, but at this stage of the tournament that thought is irrelevant. In fact, I'm growing ashamed of myself for having given it so much attention this season.
Hell, everyone knew Khalid El-Amin had no future as a pro—but I certainly enjoyed watching him run the point for UConn's '99 championship team.
Your statistics, awards and accomplishments at this level speak for themselves. Your 23 points and 10 rebounds per game this season are impressive enough. Even when offensive catalyst Ty Lawson was victimized by a midseason ankle injury, you refused to let North Carolina take a step back. Through seven games (and six wins) you averaged 28 points and 12 rebounds. In the ACC tournament semifinals, your 26 points and nine rebounds pushed UNC past a pesky Virginia Tech squad.
Oh yeah, you also hit the game winner that day.
Final Four weekend is the culmination of college sports greatest spectacle. It’s a time to celebrate the accomplishments of these student-athletes without worrying about how they got there or what their respective futures might hold.
Tyler, no player in this tournament has accomplished what you have on the collegiate level. It took me awhile to accept this but now I have come around.
Here’s to hoping you add NCAA basketball’s ultimate accomplishment to your resume this weekend.
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5 months ago
As a Duke, I have to say that I hate Hansbrough along with his team with a passion.
But as hard as this is to say, I have no choice but to respect what he is doing.
He might not be a good NBA player, but that has nothing to do with what he has done this year.
Let's get rid of the NBA talk until next year, because we all know he is returning to school next season.
from 5 months ago
Thanks for the comment. As a lifelong Michigan fan who still carries with him the pain of Chris Webber's timeout (and the resentment of UNC that goes along with it), this was especially tough to write! Cheers to a great weekend of hoops.
5 months ago
Great work. Hansbrough has had a special season and should be lauded for his efforts.
That being said, my wife calls him fish face. I concur.
5 months ago
I really think people underestimate what hard work and passion can get you in life. I believe he will measure out to about 6'7", will have plenty of concerns about his lack of length, lack of athleticism and lack of creativity in the post, and will still succeed in the NBA.
Will he be an All-Star? Extremely doubtful. Will he work his ass off to maximize past the limit everything he can possibly be and continue to improve by outworking the next guy? You better believe it. I'd be shocked if he doesn't end up an impact bench contributor on a playoff contender. Hard working role players have a place in this game, and he will do anything necessary to be that guy. Mark Madsen doesn't have half of Hansbrough's talent, and has made a career in the league.
5 months ago
I never could understand the hatred directed toward Tyler, when if you asked all these pundits, they'd
a) want Tyler to marry their daughters, and b) want their sons to be just like him. Never made sense to me.
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