Going into the 2008-09 College Basketball season few people will dispute the fact that North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, last year's College Basketball's Player of the Year, is once again the odds on favorite to be named this year's player of the year. The question that remains is, will success at the college level translate to success in the NBA? Does Tyler Hansbrough have what it takes to succeed at the next level, and how high will he go during the 2009 NBA Draft?
Currently slated by most scouting services to go in the mid to late rounds of the Draft, the 6-9, 230 lb Hansbrough is already an NBA caliber player. Though he is on the shorter side of what a prototypical NBA frontcourt player needs to be, Hansbrough is nevertheless a hard-nosed player whose none stop motor might remind some of a poor man's Dave Cowens. Cowens, the undersized Celtic great, more than made up for his lack of size with hustle and determination. Like Cowens before him, Hansbrough is a tenacious rebounder who positions himself well when going after errant shots. Though he lacks Cowens tremendous leaping ability and athleticism, Hansbrough still manage to average 10.2 rebounds a game for the Tar Heels last season.
What's more, his relentless style of play paid major dividends at the charity stripe, as Hansbrough's ability to draw contact when shooting from the inside allowed him to score more than a third of his points from the foul line last year. Add to that a knack for finding his shot in the post, his ability to score in the transition game, and a moderately good jump shot, and one can start to see why Hansbrough was able to average 22.6 points per game last season.
That's not to say that this NCAA superman does not have his fair share of weaknesses, he does. It is his current weaknesses that are the main reason he is yet slated as a lottery pick. Chief complaint among NBA scouts, are his ability to play defense at the next level, and his ball handling skills. At 6-9, some say that Hansbrough will have trouble guarding taller players inside, while out at the perimeter he may be a step too slow to guard against quicker opponents. Still, his hustle and solid grasp of the fundamentals should make him more than an adequate defender in the NBA.
While there are reservations about his skills and abilities when it comes to the NBA, it must be noted that Hansbrough also bring plenty of intangibles to the draft table. Any team that is willing to take a chance on this prospect in the first round will know that they are drafting the hardest working college player available. What's more, Hansbrough has spend his college career in the glaring spotlight of North Carolina, and has responded with one All-American season after another. These are traits that an NBA coach will look for when trying to create the right type of team chemistry.
Though its still to early to guess what NBA teams will do come draft time, look for Hansbrough to sneak his ways into the mid teens of the first round. Then look for him to average 15 points and 8 rebounds a game over his NBA career.
