Where does Tyler Hansbrough rank among the all time greats?

[dell71]

Tyler Hansbrough leaves UNC as one of the most decorated players in the history men's college basketball. Some have said this places him among the greats of the game. Others maintain that this era of college ball is weak, or at least filled with freshman & sophomores since the best players bolt for the NBA after one or two seasons and downgrade his accomplishments. Right now, I fall somewhere in between on this.

Some of those accomplishments:

• 1 National Championship
• 4 time All-American
• 2008 National Player of the Year
• 2008 ACC Player of the Year
• 2008 ACC Tournament MVP
• 2008 NCAA Tournament Charlotte Regional MOP
• 2006 ACC Rookie of the Year
• ACC All-time leading scorer
• NCAA All-time leader in free throws made
• 4 time All-ACC 1st Team (only player ever to earn 4 unanimous selections)
• First Freshman to be a unanimous All-ACC 1st Team selection
• 1 of only 8 players in ACC history to score 2000+ points and grab 1000+ rebounds
• 1 of only 4 opposing players to win 4 times at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium
• Career Stats: 20.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 53.6 fg%

So where do you put him?

[Leftwich]

I dunno he was a great college athlete so he'd be in my top ten. I never liked him at all but he did get the job done at UNC.

[Vinsane]

The key factor you mentioned here, is the one-and-done rule that was placed on the NCAA. Guys are bolting early and it seems like Ty stayed until the talent was gone and watered down. Had he won more than one I think it would give him validity. I'm caught in the middle, here you have a guy with loads of talent, that deserves some if not a lot of credit towards this championship, and then you look on the flipside and had he of done this when guys like Beasley, Oden, Alderidge, were playing it would of held more wait. One of UNC's greats no doubt. I don't really know where to begin.

[ralaw]

I've heard arguments against him being among the top 5 UNC players of all-time. Hanbrough obviously has the accomplishments, but the issue is going to be how do people rank all-time great college players? Some look at accomplishments, some look at how dominant they were in college, while others look at the talent and how they translate to the pro game, and some will even take all of that into consideration. IMO Hansbrough should go down as an all-time great, but I can probably name 20-30 guys I'd take over him.

[dell71]

I've heard arguments against him being among the top 5 UNC players of all-time. Hanbrough obviously has the accomplishments, but the issue is going to be how do people rank all-time great college players? Some look at accomplishments, some look at how dominant they were in college, while others look at the talent and how they translate to the pro game, and some will even take all of that into consideration. IMO Hansbrough should go down as an all-time great, but I can probably name 20-30 guys I'd take over him.

The one thing I would take away is what guys did in the pros. Aside from that, can you still put him among the 30 or so best college players ever? Right now, I'd have to say no. Maybe top 50 but probably more like top 100. No shame in that, though.

Maybe after I step back from it a bit I'd get a better handle on it.

[ralaw]

The one thing I would take away is what guys did in the pros. Aside from that, can you still put him among the 30 or so best college players ever? Right now, I'd have to say no. Maybe top 50 but probably more like top 100. No shame in that, though.

Maybe after I step back from it a bit I'd get a better handle on it.

From a talent perspective I can proabably name about many, many more, but its hard to over look his accomplishments and awards. Even if as a talent he may not be there he has the hardware to at least be given top 30 consideration. However, even with all of his accomplishments IMO he didn't dominate college basketball, but instead was very good and consistent, bt he routinely struggled agaisnt top players at his position.

[dell71]

From a talent perspective I can proabably name about many, many more, but its hard to over look his accomplishments and awards. Even if as a talent he may not be there he has the hardware to at least be given top 30 consideration.

That sounds fair.

[Senser81]

IMO Hansbrough should go down as an all-time great, but I can probably name 20-30 guys I'd take over him.

Yeah, I would put Hansbrough in with guys like Christian Laettner, not Jerry Lucas. Definitely one of the best UNC players ever, but not really one of the best all-time NCAA players. Here would be my all-time NCAA team...

C: Lew Alcindor, UCLA
PF: Jerry Lucas, Ohio St.
SF: Tom Gola, La Salle
SG: Oscar Robertson, Cincy
PG: Pete Maravich, LSU

[FirstTimer]

Now with all the one and done guys too it becomes increasingly tough. How do you rank Hansbrough vs a guy like Carmelo Anthony for example? Hansbrough is one of the all time greats, but I would rank him towards the bottom of that list.

[dell71]

Yeah, I would put Hansbrough in with guys like Christian Laettner, not Jerry Lucas. Definitely one of the best UNC players ever, but not really one of the best all-time NCAA players. Here would be my all-time NCAA team...

C: Lew Alcindor, UCLA
PF: Jerry Lucas, Ohio St.
SF: Tom Gola, La Salle
SG: Oscar Robertson, Cincy
PG: Pete Maravich, LSU

Nice squad.

Funny thing about Laettner though: lots of people put him near the very top of a lot of these greatest college players lists. So it's hard for me to say in with Laettner but not Lucas. BTW, I actually agree with you but I know how Laettner is viewed by some folks.

[Senser81]

Nice squad.

Funny thing about Laettner though: lots of people put him near the very top of a lot of these greatest college players lists. So it's hard for me to say in with Laettner but not Lucas. BTW, I actually agree with you but I know how Laettner is viewed by some folks.

Yeah, but guys like Lucas and Tom Gola could only play 3 years (had to sit out freshman year), and they were Unanimous or Consensus 1st team All-American three times. Laettner can't touch those credentials.

[stevsta]

he is a good COLLEGE player i will give him that

[stevsta]

When ranking on the levels of college greatness, you have to do exactly what it says, rank on the levels of college greatness. Ralph Sampson won 3 straight national POTY awards and 2 Wooden Awards, something that probably will never be repeated again...yet had an Injury plagued NBA career and amounted to little. Why does that make him less of a COLLEGE player?
Later on when Hansbrough is averaging his maximum of 8-10 ppg with 4-6 rpg off the bench, do his ACC and NCAA records disappear?

UNC ALL-TIME CAREER RECORDS
Points :………………… ……….. ..Final Rank #1
Rebounds :………………… ………Final Rank #1
Combined Points & Rebounds :….Final Rank #1
Field Goals Made:……………….â €¦Final Rank #1
Free Throws Made :……………….Final Rank #1
Free Throws Attempted :……….. .Final Rank #1

ACC ALL-TIME CAREER RECORDS
Points :………………… ……….. ..Final Rank #1
Rebounds :………………… ………Final Rank #8
Combined Points & Rebounds :….Final Rank #2
Field Goals Made:……………….â €¦Final Rank #2
Free Throws Made :……………….Final Rank #1
Free Throws Attempted :……….. .Final Rank #2

NCAA ALL-TIME CAREER RECORDS
Points :………………… ……….. ..Final Rank #12
Combined Points & Rebounds :….Final Rank #11
Free Throws Made :……………….Final Rank #1
Free Throws Attempted :……….. .Final Rank #2

ACC Player of the Week Honors:
Career:………………à Άβ‚¬Β¦ΓΆβ‚¬Β¦ΓΆβ‚¬Β¦ΓΆβ‚¬Β¦.. ..Final Rank #4
Single season:……..………†¦.. ..Final Rank #1


4-Time Consensus All-Americans
Tyler Hansbrough has become the first player ever with 3 consensus First-Team and 1 consensus Second-Team All-American honor. No one has ever had 4 consensus First-Team All-American honors, and only Arnold Ferrin of Utah has ever been on a consensus All-American team 4 times, though 3 of those were Second-Team honors.

-5th player in NCAA history with 2,800 points and 1,200 rebounds.

You can't look over all these things just because the same people who thought Kwame Brown, Darko Millicic, Nickoloz Tskitishvili, and Rafael Araujo would be great NBA players think that Hansbrough won't succeed. He's one of the most accomplished players of all time.

I didnt say he was bad i just said he is a good cooooooooooooolege player

[T.Dot]

DEAD FUCKING LAST.

[Sportsbuck]

I've heard arguments against him being among the top 5 UNC players of all-time. Hanbrough obviously has the accomplishments, but the issue is going to be how do people rank all-time great college players? Some look at accomplishments, some look at how dominant they were in college, while others look at the talent and how they translate to the pro game, and some will even take all of that into consideration. IMO Hansbrough should go down as an all-time great, but I can probably name 20-30 guys I'd take over him.

I agee with this.