Going up against the Washington Wizards, Hansbrough had 13 points and five rebounds. He was 3-for-7 from the field and 7-for-10 at the line. The Pacers ended up blowing out the Pacers 102-86.

The Pacers were led by Danny Granger’s 22 points, six rebounds, four steals, two assists and two blocks. TJ Ford and Dahntay Jones had 18 points for Indiana.

Caron Butler had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards. Gilbert Arenas had 13 points and five assists.

Hansbrough has been bothered by injuries for most of the last few months. However, now that he’s healthy, expect him to get consistent playing time. It’ll be interesting to see if he can translate his success in college to the NBA.

Tyler Hansbrough made his Pacers debut (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Tyler Hansbrough Impressive in Debut

I might be jumping the gun a bit with Blake Griffin. The guy is a beast, an overall talent that is sure to make an impact in the NBA. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft was told late last month to rest his strained right shoulder for three to four weeks. Though he’s losing out on practice time, the L.A. Clippers don’t believe the injury will inhibit Griffin once the season starts.

Tyler Hansbrough on the other hand, isn’t so lucky. He’s been spotted wearing  a large black walking boot to protect a right shin injury that could keep him sidelined at the start of training camp. Hansbrough was the Indiana Pacers‘ top pick in the draft, and the team hopes that he will recover in the next two months. The injury was sustained sometime in the spring, while Hansbrough was leading North Carolina to the NCAA championship.

Injuries can be potentionally harmful for any rookie’s development as a player. Griffin has the capability of coming back strong from his shoulder injury. But Hansbrough has much more to prove, especially since many analysts predict that he will have a hard time transitioning to the NBA.

Hansbrough Highlights:

Griffin Highlights:

Videos: Youtube

Post from: EveryJoe

Top NBA Rookies Already Have Injuries

The fact that Michael Jackson passed away yesterday was beyond surreal. Add in Farrah Faucet and you’ve got a double-whammy.  Then Shaq gets traded to Cleveland to team up with Lebron for what seems to be a destined championship run in 2010.

The 2009 NBA Draft class was not as strong as in previous years, but definitely offered some surprises.

What else happened on draft night?

Here’s a brief recap for your viewing pleasure:

• Richard Jefferson was traded to San Antonio.

• Blake Griffin was the number one pick in the ’09 draft.

• Tyler Hansbrough went to the Indiana Pacers.

• Golden State stole Stephen Curry from the New York Knicks.

• Brandon Jennings’ short stint in Europe paid off — he was able to gain more experience playing professionally overseas than he would have gotten playing in college. As a result, he was drafted 10th overall.

• Ricky Rubio sank in the draft and ended up going to Minnesota (along with Johnny Flynn for double the point guard fun).

Post from: EveryJoe

A Brief Recap Of The 2009 NBA Draft

Tyler Hansbrough NBA Scouting Report (Image: Zuma Press)

Despite his college success, Hansbrough won’t be a top pick in the draft. Most scouting experts believe he won’t crack the top ten.

The biggest knock against him is his athleticism. He’s just not a player who will be able to easily convert attempts near the rim. Defensively, he’s going to have to work on his fundamentals if he’s going to thrive in the NBA.

While Hansbrough isn’t going to be a star in the NBA, he could be a Luis Scola type player. Hansbrough has a good basketball IQ, a strong will to win and tons of experience at a high level. A team is going to role the dice on him from the 10 to 15 range and hope that his intangibles overcome his physical limitations.

Post from: EveryJoe

Tyler Hansbrough NBA Scouting Report

Short of creating a mock draft, I listed which players I personally think rank in the top ten as far as prospects go. I think they are the cream of the draft crop. Whether or not NBA scouts agree with me is another question.

Lyndsey’s Top Ten 2009 NBA Draft Prospects

Blake Griffin will most likely be the number one pick in this year's NBA draft.

1. Blake Griffin (F/C) — If he doesn’t go number one I’ll be dumbfounded. He’s got the size, skill, quickness and innate athletic talent to make an immediate impact.

2. Hasheem Thabeet (C) — Can you say Dikembe Mutombo? The only different is that I think Thabeet is much more than a rebounding/shot-blocking machine.

3. Ricky Rubio (PG) — This kid, and I stress kid, is talented. I’m excited to see what he can do in the NBA.

4. Ty Lawson (PG) — He was the difference maker in UNC’s Championship season. I don’t think they would have won the NCAA Tournament without him. He’s smart, quick and has the upper body strength to compete in the NBA.

5. Stephen Curry (G) — Curry is probably a mid-to-late first round pick.
But I believe he has the talent to develop into a an amazing player. He’s got to put on a few pounds first though.

6. James Harden (SG) — Great shooter, def. an asset to any team.

7. Tyler Hansbrough (F/C) — I know a lot of people think Tyler is going to be like Christian Laettner … great college career,  not so great in the NBA.  I think Tyler has the drive to work hard and improve at the NBA level. Besides, Laettner may not have been an all-star caliber player but he lasted 13 seasons, which isn’t too shabby.

8. Jeff Teague (G) — Great offensive presence. He’s smart and he’s a scorer. He needs to work on his defense a bit.

9. Jordan Hill  (F/C)— Considered one of the most improved college players since last year. He averaged a double/double for most of the season.

10. Brandon Jennings (PG) — Went to Italy last season because he couldn’t jump right to the NBA due to the age regulation. While he hasn’t made a huge splash overseas, he has the potential to be a big time player here at home with his athleticism and size.

Photo provided by Newscom

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Lyndsey’s Top Ten 2009 NBA Draft Prospects

Those individuals that decide to stay in college for all four years are few and far between.

Tyler Hansbrough stayed at UNC and amassed numerous national accolades as well a national championship. Add a college degree to the mix and I’d say that he made a smart decision.

Stephen Curry is now wrestling with the same decision. According to SI.com, the main thing holding him back from hiring an agent is the college degree.

Stephen Curry has until Sunday to declare for the 2009 NBA draft.

Knowing that Curry is a well-rounded kid and that the hype and attention he has garnered since Davidson’s 2008 NCAA Tournament run hasn’t gone to his head, I’m not the lease bit surprised that he has yet to make a decision about his basketball future. I could see him returning to Davidson for his senior year. And I would respect him for it.

Photo provided by Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Stephen Curry Still Undecided About The NBA

In the postgame press conference Tyler Hansbrough nonchalantly said that he guessed the decision to come back for his senior season was a good one.

Was it not quite refreshing to see the Tar Heel studs put winning a collegiate title over making millions?

It's All Good (Image:Newscom)

Post from: EveryJoe

In A League Of Their Own

After the game Jay Bilas said Duke is still top 10 quality but not a likely contender for the Final Four.

I concur with Bilas on this one.

By the way, anybody see the elbow lick Singler gave Hansbrough?

But let it be known, Singler does have a gentle side.

And don’t you forget it.

Post from: EveryJoe

The Dook Crew Prove They’re Not That Good

Ty Lawson led all scorers with 25 points. Tyler Hansbrough had 17 and Danny Green and Wayne Ellington had 15 points each.

Green and Hansbrough did something that’s never been done in the Mike Krzyzewski era – they went four for four at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke was led by Kyle Singler‘s 22 points. Jon Scheyer added 20 and Gerald Henderson tossed in 17 for the Blue Devils.

Honestly, after the Blue Devils (20-4, 7-3) took a 52-44 lead at halftime, I thought the outcome just might be different this time around.

But as I was switching between the game and a good rerun of “Two and a Half Men,” (it was a really funny episode) North Carolina (22-2, 8-2) just took over this game and really put it out of reach with a 14-0 run midway in the second half.

Part two of North Carolina vs. Duke is at North Carolina, and it should be another good one. It’s on March 8 and is the last game of the regular season.

Post from: EveryJoe

Just Call Cameron Indoor Stadium “Danny and Tyler’s House”

Tyler Hansbrough needed only nine points to become North Carolina’s all-time leading scorer. He scored 20 in a 91-73 win against Evansville last night.

Hansbrough broke a 30-year-old Tar Heel record set by Phil Ford. That’s pretty big for a school that’s produced guys like Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Brad Daugherty and Ford.

But just how big of a deal is it in the ACC?

The all-everything senior forward is only 10th on the all-time ACC scoring list with 2,302 points.

The leader is Duke’s J.J. Redick, who played for the Blue Devils from 2003-06. Redick, who I’ve read is one of the most hated players in college basketball (here we go hating Duke again), scored 2,769 points.

Here’s the all-time ACC list.

1. J.J. Redick, Duke (2003-06) 2,769
2. Dickie Hemric, Wake (1952-55) 2,587
3. Johnny Dawkins, Duke (1983-86) 2,556
4. Rodney Monroe, N.C. State (1988-91) 2,551
5. Bryant Stith, UVa (1989-92) 2,516
6. Christian Laettner, Duke (1989-92) 2,460
7. Mike Gminski, Duke (1977-80) 2,323
8. Jeff Lamp, UVa (1978-81) 2,317
9. David Thompson, N.C. State (1973-75) 2,309
10. Tyler Hansbrough, UNC (2005 – present) 2,302

If Hansbrough averages 20 points a game he would end up in second place with 2,702 points.

He is currently averaging 22.3 points a game after six played. A handful of big 25-30 point games could give him the record.

The Tar Heels play Valparaiso on Saturday. And by the time that game is over, Hansbrough will be at least seventh on the list passing North Carolina State’s David Thompson, Virginia’s Jeff Jamp and Duke’s Mike Gminski.

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Is Hansbrough’s Tar Heel Scoring Record That Big A Deal In the ACC?