UNC Basketball: The 15 Tar Heels opposing fans hated most

Tyler Hansbrough

The hatred that college basketball fans felt for Tyler Hansbrough in the late 2000’s is quite understandable, as unjust as it may have been.

Hansbrough was, quite simply, the most dominant player in the game. Not just at North Carolina, and not just in the ACC; in all of college basketball. And that’s not to say that he was the most skilled, because he wasn’t in any of his four seasons with the Tar Heels. But he wanted it more, and he left everything out on the court every single game he played.

The 6-foot-9, 235-pound power forward out of Poplar Bluff, Missouri was one of the top-rated players in the country when he committed to the Tar Heels the summer of 2004. And from the time that he stepped on to the UNC campus the following year, he didn’t disappoint.

Hansbrough became the first freshman in ACC history to score 40 points in a game in a come-from-behind win over Georgia Tech. He was the first player in league history to earn first team All-ACC honors in each of his four seasons. He was ACC Player of the Year in 2008, and a three-time consensus first team All-American.

Any number of these accomplishments would have gotten Hansbrough’s jersey in the Smith Center rafters. For a North Carolina basketball player to have his jersey retired, however, he must win at least one of the six awards for National Player of the Year —  Associated Press, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, National Association of Basketball Coaches, Sporting News, Naismith, and Wooden. Hansbrough won all six awards in 2008.

But it wasn’t just his accomplishments between the end lines that made the Carolina superstar such a popular player to dislike. And it wasn’t what earned him the nick name “Psycho T” — a moniker he still carries with him to this day. It was his toughness, his tenacious approach to the game, and his cheesy smiles. The celebration dance/strut/high-step he did after a game-winning shot against Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament helped, too.

And in case you don’t remember (how could you not?) or you just want a refresher, here’s the clip of Hansbrough’s jubilant march down court past a distraught Seth Greenberg on the Hokies bench.

More than anything, though, Hansbrough was hated for being so good. He never scored fewer than 18.4 points per game during his four-year career at North Carolina. And his most decorated season in 2008 was highlighted by his 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Not to mention his 54 percent field goal shooting, or 80.6 percent mark from the free throw line.

Speaking of free throws, Hansbrough hit more of those (982) than any other player in ACC and NCAA history. His 1,219 rebounds are a school record, and his 2,872 points are still tops in ACC history.

Hansbrough played seven seasons in the NBA (Pacers, Raptors, Hornets) and one in the G-League before moving abroad to play professionally in China. He’s currently with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association.