Chansky's Notebook: Poetic Justice

Posted by Art Chansky | Aug 30, 2023 | Sports, Sports Notebook

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Tyler Hansbrough and Coach K inducted together is poetic justice.

The College Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony tonight features two inductees that had a large impact on each other’s careers between 2005 and 2009, a time when Carolina jumped ahead of Duke in hoops.

Hansbrough was raised in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and would have gone to Mizzou or Kansas had Roy Williams not begun recruiting him before his senior year in high school, the season UNC won Ol’ Roy’s first NCAA title.

Prior to that, Duke had taken a stranglehold on the rivalry, winning 15 of the last 17 matchups and putting the “greatest rivalry in college basketball” in jeopardy of falling off the map. During that span, the Blue Devils had been to three Final Fours and won Coach K’s third national championship.

And while Carolina was rebuilding, for sure, Duke was still getting all of the recruiting headlines, led by J.J. Redick, who became a three-time All-American and National Player of the Year in 2006. So Hansbrough arriving seemed no big threat especially when Duke won the first game in Chapel Hill.

Then, of course, Hansbrough won the first of four straight trips to Cameron Indoor Stadium, draining that memorable 3-pointer from the top of the key to secure the 83-76 win over the top-ranked team in the country and ruin Redick’s Senior Night.

The soon nicknamed “Psycho T” went on to win 6 of 8 in the blueblood rivalry along with making first-team All-ACC four times, plus ACC and National Player of the Year.

Duke would not win Krzyzewski’s fourth and fifth NCAA crowns until after Hansbrough and the Tar Heels had won Williams’ second in 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, as clearly the most dominating team in the country. So, without Hansbrough, it’s hard to imagine Carolina catching up and surpassing Duke.

Coach K went on to earn the most wins among major college basketball coaches, which along with five natties is why he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2001 and the College Hall.

Hansbrough became UNC’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder (until Armando Bacot passed him in 2023), but he was in between a small forward and power forward by NBA standards and turned journeyman.

But, just like the Tar Heels’ two upset victories over Duke in Hubert Davis’ first season will never be forgotten by either alumni or fan base, the four years of Carolina calling it “Hansbrough Indoor Stadium” will also live forever and makes it ironic that Psycho T and Coach K are honored simultaneously.

Featured image via Associated Press/Gerry Broome

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