Tyler Hansbrough may be SI's National Player of the Year and coverboy, but will his college success translate to the NBA? That seems to be the million-dollar question and our personal opinion is a big HELL NO. At 6-foot-9, he lacks the size to dominate down low as he's done at Carolina the past three seasons. And he doesn't have enough speed to play small forward. We know he "plays hard," but playing hard won't take him very far when matched up against the Dwight Howards and Carlos Boozers of the world. SIOC's guess is that he becomes, at best, David Lee and at worst, Shelden Williams.
How do you see Psycho T performing at the NBA level?




Jarah Mariano
Damaris Lewis



Comments (48) Add A Comment
He'll be a lottery pick.
erwin: Bye, ****.
The Big House, MI
Total Comments (2172)
and because hes white right, you guys are ridiculous, lacks size?
he doesnt care about the nba, he plays for the love of the game not the $$$
go_heels
Spotsylvania , VA
Total Comments (1)
Moderate bust
career averages of say 8-9ppg, 4-5rpg and 2apg
Definitely not a superstar at the NBA level
djroxalot:Yoda=Zinge…
South Central Los Angeles, CA
Total Comments (19163)
Maybe think Shane Battier-type of a player
djroxalot:Yoda=Zinge…
South Central Los Angeles, CA
Total Comments (19163)
I agree with djroxalot.
I doubt Hansbrough will ever be a superstar. He'll put up modest numbers, and really be known for being one of the hardest working, toughest guys in the league. Not gonna be making any All-Star games...
Mac is the Demon of…
Fort Hood, TX
Total Comments (9404)
I agree with Mac and djroxalot..he's going to be at best a role player in the NBA. He's not going to be the guy who puts up monstrous numbers. I disagree he wont be a lottery pick...he'll be a late first maybe early second round kind of guy. He's going to be the kind of guy who could maybe be at most a 11 ppg and 8 rpg type of guy.
badgerfan07 back in…
Whitewater , WI
Total Comments (1544)
I'm going to say a Few words, Josh McRoberts, Greg Ostertag, Brain Reeves, Christian Laettner, Nick Collison, Raef Lafrentz, Aaron Gray, Shawn Bradley. I can go on and one. All did well in college but never amounted to anything. I don't think he will do well. He will be a bust as a Lottery Pick. He should stay all four years and earn his degree and become rich like Christian Laettner without basketball. I'm sorry wealthy!
novawildcat4life
Total Comments (5)
For those who are non believers if you are old enough can you remember Kirt Rambis!! Uh Hansbro is just like him. and yes he will be a lottery Pick
Kalbo
Winterville , NC
Total Comments (1)
If he's a lottery pick (which I doubt) who would be a bust; but if he is late first rounder or a seconder rounder, he'll be okay. A good role player with the right team could make him 6th man of the year a few times.
Jabril1217
Tucker , GA
Total Comments (1486)
My thought is, WHO CARES??? He is a Carolina legend already. For pure basketball fans, a player is not defined by how well they do in a league where even the laziest players are millionaires. It matters what they do when they are playing for no money and purely for love of the game. The NBA, where great players go do die.
Heels=Champs
Clemmons , NC
Total Comments (1)
i dont think he will be a total bust. how can you possibly underrate his intangibles like that? there are plenty of tweener NBA players who are solid contributers. whoever said "shane battier" type is pretty accurate. he will be a solid role-player off the bench and most likely be a mid 1st round draft choice. he also plays harder than anyone on the floor, which will translate to a long NBA career. hes extremely durable.
pantherfan0728
Pittsburgh , PA
Total Comments (188)
I hope that Tyler will be successful in the NBA. This does not mean he needs to average 20 points plus a game to be consdiered successful. There a lots of players in the NBA who don't. So what's new. I know that he is a bit slow, but I believe if he can play with the mental and physical toughness he has demonstrated at Carolina, he will at least be a player that can average 14-15 points a game. He needs another 2-3 inches in height, and there would be no doubt he would be a starter in the NBA. I still think he is a low first round draft pick, and he will make a contribution to whatever team drafts him.
dexman
Durham , NC
Total Comments (1)
I'd like to throw another player's name out there for comparison - Ben Wallace. He's undersized, undertalented, and still very much paid and appreciated. Tyler has a different style in that he's not a defensive force, but the effort and intangibles are very similar. Plus Tyler can shoot (though not quite as well as another player mentioned, Shane Battier). He'll find a niche for himself somewhere.
anon2050234543
Total Comments (1)
He'll be drafted between 15 and 20. I won't call him an outright bust, but his best days in his career are going on right now. He will be a serviceable pro but not a great one.
J. HOVA: PRIMETIME
Brooklyn, NY
Total Comments (17922)
Whoever wrote this obviously has no clue about the game of basketball. You're saying that Hansbrough won't be able to match up against Carlos Boozer? Carlos Boozer had the exact same criticism when he left Duke in 2002. He was the exact same size as Hansbrough and played with similiar style. He was picked in the 2nd round due to concerns about his size, but he is now one of the best power forwards in the NBA.
Even mentioning Hansbrough's name in the same paragraph as Shelden Williams is a major insult to Hansbrough. As a freshman, Hansbrough completely dominated Williams in college while Williams was a senior. Williams also is similiar in size to Hansbrough and his college production did not come anywhere close to what Hansbrough is currently doing, yet Williams was picked with the 5th pick in the NBA draft. I think we all know how that worked out for the Hawks.
I'm not saying Hansbrough is a talented player. He isn't even the most talented player on his own team, but his work ethic is unprecedented. If you look at the NBA, they're are several players who obviously aren't trying their hardest in every game. Hansbrough clearly won't be one of those guys.
I think Hansbrough will be a solid player in the NBA. I don't think he will be an All-Star caliber player, but it won't surprise me if he becomes an above average 6th man. I don't know if he is worthy of a lottery pick, but I think I team in the mid to late first round like San Antonio, Boston, or Phoenix would be an excellent fit for Hansbrough.
josejorge110
Total Comments (1)
Who is Andy Gay? What is he doing cursing on what is supposed to be a clean site? How many points or rebounds has he had lately? Look at Shelden Williams -- he makes 3.3 million dollars and scores 3.3 per game. Can you really say he is a bust making that kind of money? Hansbrough has improved every year. He can hit outside shots but he is not the one UNC wants away from the rim when a shot is made...so they don't want him to
shoot outside. He's over 81% from the free throw line for the year. As hard as he works and as much as he has improved I think he can become better and do very well as a pro.
uncchamps3
Total Comments (3)
Bring him to Boston!! We'd love him!!
Cranza
Biddeford , ME
Total Comments (1)
If a player with Tyler Hansbrough's talent, passion for the game, grit and determination cannot make it in the NBA, then that brings down the NBA, not Tyler Hansbrough. Let Psyhco T get acclomated to the game and put him in the rotation and I will buy tickets all year long. Right now, I'd rather stay home so I call fall asleep on my couch somewhere in the second half from being BORED to death!
Not2Blue
Hildebran , NC
Total Comments (1)
Novawildcat that's funny, you named all tall white guys who have been busts in the nba! Not saying he needs to get a tan, but "Psycho T" reminds me of a sophomoric frat boy who needs to develop more than just hustle to make up for his lack of strengths in a grown man's league.
amorphous10
Cleveland , OH
Total Comments (13)
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