North Carolina Senior NBA Comparison: Eduardo Najera/Mark Madsen
Strengths: The 2007-08 National Player of the Year has been a consistent and productive player each and every year at PF position (holds UNC scoring record) … A hustle player who loves to hit the glass as hard as possible on both ends of the floor … Has great hands that he uses well around the basket … Makes great decisions in the post; likes turning to his left shoulder and using a right handed baby-hook –or a mini hook while creating contact with his left … Hansbrough creates space well in the low post and tries to position himself as close as possible to the basket (his upper body strength helps him to get good position offensively) … Loves to use pump fakes against bigger and stronger players, he’ll spin and draw contact around the basket to get to the free throw line (draws fouls at 20+% per position) … He is an excellent free-throw shooter at 84%; he is absolutely the best finisher around the basket after contact in the college game … Hansbrough has a solid shooting touch from 15-16 feet that has developed the past few years and can also hit the midrange jumper with relative consistency if he is given space (51% FG). Possesses a great feel for rebounding and does an excellent job of positioning himself and boxing out on rebounds (good offensive rebounder) … Tries to get his hand on every loose ball … He is a solid post defender with good fundamentals and a strong lower body … A very passionate player who plays with tremendous heart and energy …
Weaknesses: At 6’ 8’’ Hansbrough lacks ideal size for the NBA PF position … Struggles defending taller and more athletic players even at the college level … Not athletic enough to overcome his size disadvantage to be a standout at the next level … Needs to develop face-up game … Hansbrough overpowers most of the players at the college level and will not be able to do the same in the NBA. Scores most of his baskets on sheer will and hustle, lacking a great skill level in the post … Defensively he struggles to stay in front of quicker and more athletic players outside paint … His ball handling is a big question at the next level (more than 2 dribbles often results in a TO). His jump-shot is unnatural and needs work as well as his shooting motion … His footwork and lateral-quickness needs improvement … Though he has improved his range, Hansbrough has to become a more consistent outside shooter …
Stevan Petrovic 5/17/09
Weaknesses: One of Hansbroughs most glaring weaknesses is that he isn’t a superior athlete … He doesn’t show much vertical explosiveness and lacks super quickness … Has shown that he can be disrupted offensively when guarded by taller more athletic players … Defensively his lack of explosiveness and wingspan doesn’t allow him to be much of a shot blocker … Although he is an adequate post defender his average lateral quickness will hurt his perimeter offense … Still needs to develop his post footwork as he picks up travel violations from time to time … Although he has shown a good array of moves with his back to the basket, he’ll need to polish them to have the ame success againt the NBA elite … He could stand to become more comfortable facing the basket … The fact that he is a year older than most in his class has led some to suggest that he is close to his peak in development.
Matthew Maurer – 1/1/2007
Weaknesses: At 6-8, he’s undersized for the power forward position and not a freak athlete … At 20 years of age, his stats as a freshman are a bit deceiving, he is much further developed physically and skill wise than the average freshman … Defense is suspect at times … Leaping ability is average … Better suited to the half court game, jumps better off two feet … Questionable upside due to his skill level, size and athleticism … Overpowers a lot of players on the college level to score, but wont be able to do the same on the next level … Uses his power or outside shot to do most of his scoring, still needs to develop more low post moves …
Rob Salvador – 2/15/2006