UNC in the NBA: Tyler Hansbrough averaging double-double in D-League

Tyler Hansbrough’s play demands second chance in the NBA

Tyler Hansbrough didn’t get re-signed by the Charlotte Hornets after the 2015-16 season, and eventually agreed to terms with the NBA Development League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

It may have been a step down, but for Hansbrough, it was better than the alternative.

Rather than give up on professional basketball or play overseas, he decided that it would be best to take the hard route with the Indiana Pacers’ D-League affiliate.

"“I feel like I am an NBA player. I have confidence in my game. I feel like I can go out there and guard a lot of people and get up and down,” Hansbrough told ESPN. “For me, I don’t really look at it as, ‘Gosh, how did this happen?’ I look at it as an opportunity to go out here and prove to people I’m still an NBA player, still can get up and down the court, still can do the things everyone wants me to do. That’s the way I’m looking at this.“In the NBA, nothing’s guaranteed. There’s a lot of good players that probably could play in the NBA that aren’t right now. I’m trying to come out here and prove I still belong.”"

And so far, he appears to be right.

In 10 games with the Mad Ants, Hansbrough is averaging a double-double with 15.1 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.

On Monday night, he scored 18 points and grabbed 23 rebounds in 38 minutes of play. He also had two assists, a steal, a block and just two turnovers for the game.

Full stats and game action can be seen here.

Mad Ants head coach Steve Gansey has also stated that Hansbrough’s decorum in the locker room and with the team has been as good as his play on the court.

"“They see the way Tyler presents himself in practice and in games,” Gansey told ESPN. “He’s a professional. He comes to work every single day, doesn’t half-ass anything in any drill. He’s gotten in a couple scuffles already, but that’s just the way he plays. He plays hard and doesn’t let anybody push him around. It’s great that our young guys see that because you need to come and play with toughness every single night.“He’s been great. You don’t see a lot of guys like him that have been in the league seven years have a good attitude and are excited about being on two different flights sitting in the middle seat on a commercial flight. He hasn’t complained one time. The per diem’s different, the hotels are different. He’s actually paying for his own hotel room right now while we’re on the road. It just tells you he’s invested in our success and he wants to help us win and get to the playoffs. He’s just being a real pro right now about every day and trying to prove to the entire league, not just the Pacers, that he’s in great shape and he can help an NBA club win.”"

Tyler Hansbrough deserves a second chance in the NBA, and at some point, he’ll get it. Right now, it’s simply a question of who and when.

Home/North Carolina Tar Heels