TERRE HAUTE — You might have heard of the Indiana Pacers’ 2009 first-round draft pick. He was on the television once in a while during his four-year career at North Carolina.
Tyler Hansbrough, who wrapped up a successful NBA Summer League on Friday, gives Larry Bird and the Pacers a player with more star power than anyone on the current team.
While Danny Granger has emerged into a go-to scorer, Hansbrough gives Indiana a much-needed low-post scorer, who will show that he can also shoot from the perimeter. Too much weight should not be put on the rookie league performance, but Hansbrough impressed, pairing with 7-foot-2 teammate Roy Hibbert to provide a glimpse of the Pacers’ frontcourt future.
Indiana finished 5-0 in the rookie league after a Friday win in which Hibbert had 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Hibbert and Hansbrough only knew one another from when Georgetown knocked UNC out of the NCAA Tournament in 2007, but he likes what he sees.
“I told him he’s going to like playing with me,” Hibbert told NBA.com. “I’m a passing big. I like to pass the ball, and he likes to pass as well. I think we mesh well together. I can’t wait for him to go out there and show people what he can do.”
Hibbert was overall unimpressive in his rookie year last season, but he’s only 22 years old and actually younger than Hansbrough.
As the all-time leading scorer in Atlantic Coast Conference history, Hansbrough will translate to the NBA as a scorer, which is fantastic, but the Pacers must improve defensively to be relevant in the Eastern Conference. Apparently, Bird has taken one step in that direction with the signing of former Duke player Dahntay Jones, whose toughness on the wing was a key ingredient for the Denver Nuggets last season.
As Bird has said, Hansbrough’s work ethic and toughness will make him a successful pro. How good a pro? To me, a career like former Kansas Jayhawk Danny Manning is how I see him, although I wouldn’t wish the injury woes Manning incurred upon Hansbrough. The 6-10 Manning peaked five years into the league at 23.7 ppg and 7.0 rebounds, which seems like a realistic ceiling for Hansbrough.
Manning’s college coach and former Pacers’ coach Larry Brown had some praise for Hansbrough during a pre-draft interview with www.sportingnews.com.
“He’ll be fine. Anybody that plays every play, treats every possession like he does is going to be successful. If you have your motor running and you have a work ethic, I don’t think you can ever not be successful,” Brown said. “He gets extra possessions. He hustles. Big guys in our league don’t like to block out on every play so if you have the mentality to do those things, you have a chance. He’s used to winning and doing the right things so I think he’s going to be fine.”
And Hansbrough should be ready to contribute big minutes right away. Hopefully Hibbert can also step it up a notch and help make Indiana a true contender in the East.
“It always helps when you play in a real solid program and you’ve been really well coached,” Brown said of Hansbrough. “The transition’s much easier. Being 22 and being 18 or 19’s a big difference, physically and emotionally.”
One knock on Hansbrough is his athleticism, which certainly pales in comparison to the highlights we’ve watched of No. 1 pick Blake Griffin the last couple years.
“People were just saying that and people bought into it. I still get the job done, whether it’s athletic or not. I think I’m athletic,” Hansbrough told the Associated Press after scoring 23 points, including two 3-pointers in one summer league game.
He won’t be a superstar caliber player. He won’t be Adam Morrison either. The Pacers got a top-five caliber pick at 14th.
Now, it’s time to sit back and watch a young team develop into a young, winning team.
Craig Pearson can be reached by e-mail at craig.pearson@tribstar.com or by phone at (812) 231-4357.
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July 12, 2009
'Til It's Over: Hansbrough, Hibbert give Pacers glimpse of future
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GIVEN TO FLY: Come to expect new standards of excellence
Records are definitely meant to be broken; athletes today are faster and stronger than those in the past in many endeavors in athletics.
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GIVEN TO FLY: ISU women have solid recruiting class
The caliber of athletes that the Indiana State women’s basketball coaching staff is bringing in is on an upswing.
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GIVEN TO FLY: Major leaguers John, Dorsett meet up at tonight’s game
Terre Haute’s only two big leaguers of the last 50 years — Tommy John and Brian Dorsett — will catch up with one another today.
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FOOT NOTES: Valley natives perform well on national stage
Several Wabash Valley natives continue to shine on the national track and field scene.
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'Til It's Over: Sycamores ‘in a good place,’ but searching for more in MVC
Can Teri Moren lift Indiana State, last year’s seventh-place team in the Missouri Valley Conference, to one of the league’s contenders in her first year on campus?
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'Til It's Over: Two sets of identical twins should keep North Central baseball a contender
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Robinson 7-footer Meyers Leonard is not going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA some day, but his odds of reaching the league are pretty solid if his game continues to evolve as it has during high school.
- 'Til It's Over: ‘Stepping stone’ game points Sycamores in right direction Whether the win comes against a top-25 team or a conference pushover, ending a four-game losing streak is always a relief.
- 'Til It's Over: Indianapolis ISU recruit rolling along in senior season As Indiana State recruit Anna Munn approached Christmas with the Decatur Central basketball team, the senior guard didn’t seem to need much of a wishlist.
- 'Til It's Over: Magic’s still there for '79 Sycamores For the former Indiana State players who visited the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in late November, the weekend was a chance to relive memories with teammates and see Larry Bird’s career with the Sycamores celebrated again.
- CRAIG PEARSON: North has strong history in cross country state finals Vigo County is home to just four IHSAA state championships in team sports. Most recently, Terre Haute South won girls titles in basketball (2002) and tennis (2001).
- 'Till It's Over: It’s been rough year but no need to break up Cubs' core Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is only in the first year of a three-year contract, and aren’t back-to-back division championships enough to keep him around despite this year’s season filled with bad luck?
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'Til It's Over: Hansbrough, Hibbert give Pacers glimpse of future
You might have heard of the Indiana Pacers’ 2009 first-round draft pick. He was on the television once in a while during his four-year career at North Carolina.
- 'Til It's Over: Bertoli, Moore put on show in abundance of events “Anthony and Erica” may not have the marketing capability of “Dan and Dave,” but neither of Indiana State’s outstanding multi-event participants had let-down performances this weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
- ‘Walking wounded’: ISU seniors return to provide spark All three ISU seniors will graduate in May, and all three will be in uniform today as Indiana State battles Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals.
- Given to Fly: Northview standout runner Thacker coming to ISU Doc Brown told an old-timer in a saloon in “Back to the Future III” that despite having automobiles in the future people run for recreation.
- Given to Fly: Schilli’s Rodman-like performance aids ISU With Indiana State’s women’s basketball team ranking eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in field-goal percentage (36.5), the Sycamores need as many shot attempts as possible to maintain their standing on top of the league.
- Given to Fly: A classic in every sense of the word What tournament director and co-founder Gary Fears had in mind when creating the tournament came to fruition Tuesday. Marshall, with an enrollment of 438 students, became the smallest school to win the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic in the ninth season of the tourney.
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Given to Fly: ISU women should build confidence off strong outing
Indiana State did not pull off the monumental upset Saturday against No. 23 Kansas State, but the Wildcats are —aside from Connecticut in 2005 — the best team the Sycamores have played in the Jim Wiedie era.
- Given to Fly: ISU women's hoops team slides onto commercial radio Coach Jim Wiedie expects the Indiana State women’s basketball team to have a bit of a retro feel this season, meaning the Sycamores have the potential to get back to creating havoc with their full-court press.
- Given to Fly: ISU vets hope to prove pundits wrong Indiana State’s only two seniors were surprised to see they were picked ahead of just three Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball teams Tuesday morning.
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Footnotes: In first marathon, former Sycamore comes out a winner
Indiana State graduate Dani Prince made her debut in the event with a victory in the Columbus Marathon on Sunday.
Prince’s goal was a time under 2 hours and 50 minutes, and she ran a 2:48.56. -
Given To Fly: ISU volleyball turning things around
It was an extremely busy weekend for Indiana State athletics this weekend.
- Footnotes: Here’s hoping perfect weather is still around for Nationals in November The weather made for a perfect fall afternoon Saturday at LaVern Gibson Championship Course. For what it’s worth, the Farmer’s Almanac calls for more sunny conditions from Nov. 20-24, with the NCAA Championships falling on the 24th this year.
- Terre Haute natives cherish memories of ‘House that Ruth Built’ Yankee Stadium was packed as usual on Easter Sunday in 1979. George Steinbrenner’s Yankees were one loss away from being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to start the season. That was no way for the two-time defending World Series champions to perform, so the boss had a conversation with his new veteran left-handed starting pitcher prior to the game.
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Footnotes: Oregon men and women have strangehold on preseason NCAA cross countryrankings
The Oregon men and women were almost both unanimous picks as the No. 1 teams in the nation in the preseason cross country national rankings released recently.
- Given to Fly: Bronze medalist has strong ISU ties One of the remarkable American medalists of this 2008 Olympics thus far also provided one of the most sparkling stories in the brief history of the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course here in Terre Haute.
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