Collegehoopsnet - Tyler Hansbrough Commits to UNC

Tyler Hansbrough Commits To North Carolina

Tyler Hansbrough, a highly regarded power forward from Poplar Bluff, MO, has committed to the University of North Carolina. He made his announcement at a press conference Monday evening.

As recruiting analysts have adjusted their high school rankings throughout the summer, Hansbrough has consistently remained in the Top 10. Brick Oettinger of prepstars.com ranked Hansbrough #4 in his mid-summer rankings. Dave Telep of theinsiders.com placed him at #7 in his post-summer Top 100, rating him as the third best power forward behind Duke commitment Josh McRoberts and prep standout Andray Blatche. Hansbrough is rated eighth overall by rivals.com and fourth among power forwards, trailing McRoberts, Blatche, and Athens, Alabama’s Richard Hendrix (North Carolina head coach Roy Williams hopes to add Hendrix to his recruiting class as well.).

Hansbrough has been praised for his intelligence, work ethic, and relentlessness on the court, particularly on the backboard. “If you’ve seen Hansbrough and don’t love him, you either don’t care for the game or are miffed he got 30 against your team. He is rugged and aggressive with great footwork and finishing skills,” recently wrote Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News. The 6-9, 225-pound big man averaged 26.5 points and 11.4 rebounds a game as a junior, breaking Poplar Bluff High School’s career scoring record in three years. He’s a winner as well, taking a struggling Poplar Bluff program and leading it to the state Class 5 title last season. Telep has compared his tenacious approach on the court to that of former Duke star Christian Laettner, also highlighting Hansbrough’s emphasis on his inside play. Roy Williams has placed a priority on revitalizing Carolina’s inside-out game, a philosophy Dean Smith emphasized for years. Hansbrough appears to be a very nice piece to that puzzle, having demonstrated not only a desire to play under the basket but a willingness to work at it. He added twenty-five pounds to his frame prior to his junior year in order to be a more effective post player.

Hansbrough has had a solid summer at the various camps and AAU events that blue-chip prospects have become accustomed to playing. He participated in the Nike All-American Camp and was subsequently invited to the Nike Elite camp, drawing rave reviews along the way. “Is there anyone who can stop this guy in the post? Hansbrough is simply a beast when he gets the ball on the blocks, using phenomenal strength and footwork to get to the hoop. When he gets the ball down low, you might as well put two points on the scoreboard,” wrote schoolsports.com’s Jon Mahoney following Nike’s camp. Hansbrough also played well at another Nike-sponsored event, the Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. He averaged 23 points per game as his AAU team, the St. Louis Eagles, competed against other talented all-star teams. The highlight was a 28-point, 11-rebound performance in an overtime win over Richard Hendrix and the Alabama Lasers. Beyond the sheer numbers he put up, Hansbrough also forced Hendrix into foul trouble. At the Price Chopper/Kansas City Prep Invitational Tournament in late July, Hasbrough scored 40 points and grabbed over 20 rebounds in a 96-81 victory over Georgia Elite, overcoming double-teams with regularity.

“I just feel comfortable with one school in particular, and I’m ready to make that decision. It’s a place where they’re doing some good things,” Hansbrough told The Courier-Journal (Louisville) last week. Thanks to the hard work of Williams and his staff, that school is UNC.

Hansbrough chose North Carolina over tradition-rich programs Kansas and Kentucky, as well as in-state favorite Missouri. He joins 6-3 Chicago guard Bobby Frasor (#35 in theinsiders.com rankings) and 6-4 Arlington, Va. guard Marcus Ginyard (#41) in North Carolina’s recruiting class, Roy Williams’ first full class in Chapel Hill.

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