Rebounding is an art.  Just ask 6-foot-6 inch Dennis Rodman.  Or 6-foot-5 inch Charles Barkley.  These two (under-sized) players, more than any others in the modern era, both had a keen, natural instinct for the ball.  In a big man’s game, they made up for their lack of height by knowing exactly where and when the ball was going to careen off the rim and how to position themselves to secure that board.

If you watch North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough play basketball, you’ll find he shares those same instincts.  Much has been made lately over Hansbrough winning college basketball’s player of the year over Kansas State’s Michael Beasley.  Beasley posted superior numbers (barely) and most believe Beasley will boast a better professional career.  That may very well be the case.  At 6-foot-9, Hansbrough will likely be pigeon-holed into the power forward spot at the next level, and he may be a touch undersized for that position.

That doesn’t change the fact that this kid knows how to position himself around the rim to grab a rebound.  And for that type of player, there is ALWAYS room at the next level.  When you coach kids how to rebound, he’s the type of player you tell them to watch.

One only needed to watch Sunday’s ACC championship game and focus on number 50 throughout to see how he moves without the ball when a shot goes up.  Hansbrough finished that game with 18 points and 11 boards, including the game-winning offensive rebound AND the game winning base-line jumper.  If you watch the replay, when UNC’s next to last shot was released, Hansbrough was nowhere near the rim… until seconds later when he appeared out of nowhere to find the loose ball and can a silky smooth jumper at the buzzer to clinch the conference title for the powder blue.

Hansbrough played his best in big games:  16 points, 15 boards against Duke in March; 26 and 9 against Virginia Tech in the Conference semis; 39 and 13 against Clemson; 28 and 18 against Duke in February; 21 boards against Florida State.  He’s not flashy, he’s workmanlike.  And although Beasley averaged 26 and 12 this season to Hansbrough’s 23 and 10, Hansbrough’s team never lost four straight games this season like Beasley’s Kansas State.  You just get the sense he would never let that happen. 

You will get absolutely no disagreement from me that Michael Beasley will become the better professional player.   In fact, if they decide to leave early, Memphis’ Derrick Rose and USC’s OJ Mayo may also be drafted ahead of Tyler.  However, Hansbrough’s rebounding instincts are true.  If I were a General Manager with the number one pick in the draft, I’d surely choose Beasley first if he decides to leave early.  But if I end up with Hansbrough, I wouldn’t think twice about the kind of player I’d landed.  I’d stick him on the low blocks and let him go to work.  After all, every team can use a good rebounder.