No. 1: Tyler Hansbrough
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No. 1
Name: Tyler Hansbrough
Position: Forward/Center
Jersey #: 50
Years: 2005-09
Honors: Consensus National Player of the Year 2008; ACC Player of the Year 2008; Four-time, first-team All-America 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009; Four-time, first-team All-ACC 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009; NCAA East Region MVP 2008; ACC Tournament MVP 2008; ACC Male Athlete of the Year 2008; NCAA All-Region team 2007, 2008 & 2009; Three-time first-team All-ACC Tournament 2007, 2008 & 2009; Wooden Award finalist 2007 & 2009; ACC Rookie of the year 2006; First-team Freshman All-America; USBWA National Freshman of the Year 2006; Finalist for the Sullivan Award in 2009; Patterson Medal 2009; Jersey No. 50 is retired.
Notable Stats: ACC’s and UNC’s all-time leading scorer with 2,872 points; UNC’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,219; Averaged 20.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in 142 games for UNC, sixth highest average at Carolina; career 53.6 FG percent, including 12-33 on 3-pointers (31.6 percent); career 79.1 percent FT shooter; NCAA career record for most FTs made with 982; most field goals made career at UNC with 939; Third all-time at UNC with 47 career double-doubles; 11th at UNC with 180 career steals.
In Closing: Hansbrough is the only four-time, first-team All-America ever in college basketball. He averaged 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds as a freshman. As a junior, he averaged 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 2008 when he was unanimous National Player of the Year. He led the Tar Heels to two Final Fours, including the 2009 NCAA championship. UNC was 14-3 in NCAA Tournament play with Hansbrough. Carolina went 4-0 in games at Duke's Cameron Indoor stadium during Hansbrough’s four seasons and overall UNC was 6-2 versus the Blue Devils during Hansbrough’s career. In those games, he averaged 20.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest.
He was the first player in ACC history to lead his team in scoring and rebounding in each of his four seasons. His 40 points vs. Georgia Tech in 2006 remains a freshman record at UNC, tied with Harrison Barnes’ 40 in 2011. He scored in double figures in 133 of his 142 games at UNC, posted 20 or more points 74 times, and grabbed 10-plus rebounds in 47 games.
His 55-game streak of scoring in double figures is second all-time at Carolina. Hansbrough had a nine-game stretch in 2008 in which he averaged 27.9 points and 10.7 rebounds in ACC play with four of the games coming on the road. UNC went 8-1 in that stretch.
Roy Williams has often described Hansbrough as the hardest working player he has coached and one of the most competitive. His will to excel had few peers, if any. Hansbrough’s work wasn’t always symphonic and there have been many other more gifted Tar Heels, but none were more accomplished personally and otherwise than Tyler Hansbrough.