Hansbrough Named SI's Player of the Year

Sports Illustrated has named North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough its National Player of the Year and is putting him on the cover of this week's issue.

SI COVER STORY LINK: March Madman

Hansbrough leads the No. 1 ranked Tar Heels (27-2 overall, 12-2 ACC) against Florida State tonight at 8 p.m. in Carolina's final home game of the season.

The Poplar Bluff, Mo., native leads the ACC in both scoring (23.4 ppg) and rebounding (10.4 rpg) and is eighth nationally in points per game. Hansbrough has won ACC Player of the Week honors seven times this season, tying the single-season record with UNC's Antawn Jamison (in 1997-98) and Duke's JJ Redick (in 2005-06).

Hansbrough is the 10th Tar Heel men's basketball player to earn National Player of the Year honors and the second to earn Sports Illustrated's Player of the Year award (with Jerry Stackhouse in 1994-95).

Carolina's National Players of the Year

Jack Cobb ­ 1926
George Glamack ­ 1940 and 1941
Lennie Rosenbluth ­ 1957
Phil Ford ­ 1978
James Worthy ­ 1982
Michael Jordan ­ 1983 and 1984
Kenny Smith ­ 1987
Jerry Stackhouse ­ 1995
Antawn Jamison ­ 1998
Tyler Hansbrough ­ 2008