Tyler Hansbrough is 6’8, 245 pounds and will be a junior at North Carolina. He has been a playmaker in his first two seasons.
He plays with passion and he has good leadership skills. Tyler plays pretty well in the post, he gets good position, he uses spin moves, and a jump hook in the low post. He has a good touch around the basket with put-backs and lay-ups. He has a consistent perimeter shot up to 15 feet. He likes to use his physical strength to create space and shots. He can consistently score on bigger defenders. He has real good upper body strength. He likes to go to the basket to draw fouls, because he is a good finisher and free throw shooter. He has real good offensive and defensive rebounding skills. He has real good hands and catch almost every pass thrown towards him.
Tyler can be an inconsistent defender. His athleticism isn’t the greatest and his leaping ability is ok. He is an undersized PF and his wingspan isn’t very long. His footwork needs improvement he tends to travel with the ball when trying to do a move. He struggles against more athletic defenders. He lacks defensive quickness. His playing style is better suited for a half court set, than an up-tempo.
In the NBA he may not be as good at scoring in the post. His upside may be limited, but his passion, energy, and smarts should allow him to be a solid player in the pros for many years. I think in the NBA at best Tyler could be a Udonis Haslem type player, and at worst an Austin Croshere type of player.
