Indiana, let me introduce Tyler Hansbrough

As a Tar Heel watching Tyler Hansbrough going 13th in Thursday’s draft was a great moment (both for an ex Heel like me, the university and Hansbrough himself), even if the fans at Madison Square Garden chanted “overrated” as he made his way to the stage, I know different. There is nothing overrated about the power forward from Poplar Bluff, and that is why I have to believe that Larry Bird made the right pick for his team. In an article by the Winston Salem Journal Now it sounds like the President of the Pacers and his first round pick have more in common than people might think.

Ok, let’s get the obvious one out of the way shall we. White forward! Check, both of them are that. Both could have gone in the National Basketball Association before they had finished their college eligibility, but stayed for their senior years. Both played for a national title, and while Bird lost it to Michigan State, Hansbrough beat that same team last season to get his title. The two players built up a reputation for being hard workers, and both had a lot of doubters coming into the pro’s based on the fact they weren’t athletic enough.

This is what Larry Bird said as he introduced the newest Pacer to the media:

“It reminds me of when I came out,” Bird said yesterday as the Pacers introduced Hansbrough, the 13th pick in Thursday’s draft, to their fans. “There was always this skepticism that I wouldn’t be able to play in this league against these players. Tyler’s got some of that going right now, but he’ll be fine.”

I keep saying this over and over and over again, what Hansbrough does are things that you need skills for, but you also need hard work and dedication to master. Anyone that has followed the power forward knows that when it comes to working hard he doesn’t take a game, a play, a second off on the court, and that is whether he is practicing by himself, with the team or playing in a game. The stories of Tyler getting upset because his pick up team was losing are endless. Let me repeat that, “his pick up team”. If you don’t think that is hard work and/or dedication I have a hard time finding another type of example to give to you.

On the other hand, when you think that someone like Larry Bird, whose career speaks for itself, was attacked for the same reasons as Tyler Hansbrough you can’t help but wonder if this is more of a racial profiling against white players going into the Association. I have heard Tim Legler on Mike & Mike in the Morning saying that he had to prove himself on things that players that weren’t white didn’t have to. So, in the end, if Hansbrough had been black would all these negativities have come up? I would say no, but on the other hand we will never know.

The Pacers President also said this about his future star:

“Being from Indiana, young kids grow up, play the game the right way and leave their hearts on the floor and they have a passion for the game,” he said, “and that’s where Tyler fits in.”

As I said before, when you talk about leaving it all on the floor, having passion is what Hansbrough is all about. I think that anyone that is “in the know” and gave a fair chance to the ACC all time scorer saw that about him. I am sure that in the years to come, when you check on how Tyler is doing, the positives will outnumber the negatives in a way that will not even be close. All of this is clear, especially when you read the article done by WRAL.

When asked if he was going to go on vacation, Hansbrough was caught off guard:

“Um … uh … no, not really,” Hansbrough said.

Instead, Hansbrough said he was looking forward to getting up to Indiana to get to know his new team, the Pacers, and to participate in summer league play.

Once again, dedication anyone? C’mon, how much more proof you want? This young man is going to give it his all to make the Pacers better, and he is going to do it with hard work, with dedication and in a way that will always make the franchise proud. While the naysayers will keep saying that he is not good enough, the fact that Hansbrough went in the lottery proves to me that the people that evaluate talent saw what the Carolina fans have known for four years. Let’s remember this, about a month ago there were still people saying he could fall into the second round. I cannot wait for the summer league, to see how well he starts out (as well as the other three ex Tar Heels) on his way to the NBA.

So, while the fans of the Pacers might not be thrilled by their first round pick, Indiana’s front office believes in him. For whatever it matters, this old Tar Heel believes in the pick as well, as I know that Hansbrough isn’t going to give up on anything in the pro’s, just like he didn’t give up on anything in college. Even an ex foe from the ACC gave thumbs up to the selection.

Josh McRoberts, who played against Hansbrough, said this about his ex archrival:

“I think he can help whatever team he goes to,” McRoberts said. “He’s big and strong and he was an All-American four years at North Carolina, so he’s proven himself.”

I am going to enjoy watching Hansbrough, mostly because I think he is going to prove a lot of people wrong, and when he does, and they jump on his bandwagon I will be there to tell them all how wrong they were. A player whose career has been filled with accolades and achievements has been attacked by so many for so many reasons. I say this: Hansbrough is a proven commodity and is going to produce from day one in the pro’s, something that many players picked before him are not going to do. While some of these players with “potential” might explode and become All Stars, many might never become what people thought they would. With Hansbrough you know what you are getting, and while that might not be the “glamour” pick, it’s a pick that is going to give benefits every single minute that the young man is on the floor for his team. For a team, that should be the way to go, especially when the economic times we are in do not push for uncertainty.