UNC aims to limit Hansbrough's time

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough has never been the smoothest-looking player on the court.

But for three weeks, the senior All-American looked downright awkward on the bench.

Itching to grab a few rebounds, salivating at the thought of throwing down a dunk -- and irritated to have to don a suit instead of his uniform -- Hansbrough was frankly out of his element as he rested the stress reaction in his right shin.

"I don't like sitting,'' a relaxed-looking Hansbrough said Sunday as his team prepared for its first game tonight, against Chaminade, in the Maui Invitational. "It's frustrating ... I cheer for the guys, but it's not like being out there, helping my team.

"... But I also know I have to rest a little bit, see how my body reacts."

Which is why he also knows his minutes and games might be limited in the three-games-in-three-days tournament.

"There's a chance Coach might sit me out one or two games; it just depends on how my body is reacting, and what we think is best,'' said Hansbrough, who planned to meet with coach Roy Williams later in the evening. "But right now, I'm feeling all right ... and I'm glad I just got to get back in there again."

He was referring to Friday night at UC Santa Barbara, when he made his season debut by scoring 13 points in 25 minutes in the top-ranked Tar Heels' victory. He said he felt a bit rusty, which isn't surprising, considering he had only practiced twice before starting again.

But he also said he felt like it took an awfully long time to move back up the bench and back into the lineup.

The reigning national player of the year said he actually pulled himself out of practice the last week of October, when it felt like his shin was giving out every other step, "and it just kept feeling worse." When a stress reaction -- which is the precursor to a stress fracture -- was diagnosed, he was so upset about having to sit out a while that Williams stopped by the house to remind him about a similar situation that occurred four years ago.

Said Hansbrough's father, Gene: "Roy came over to his house and said, 'Do you remember how you started your senior season in high school?' And Tyler said, 'Yeah, I was on the bench for the first five games [with an Achilles tendon injury].' And Roy said, 'Do you remember how that turned out?' And Tyler said, 'Well, it turned out pretty well.' "

So well that Poplar Bluff (Mo.) High won the state championship that season, Hansbrough fully healed and leading the way.

Which is a reminder of why Williams also wants to continue to be cautious now, and Hansbrough knows he needs to be, even if he doesn't really want to.

"You just don't want it to get worse ... don't want it to factor in for the whole season," Hansbrough said.

For that reason, Williams was still pondering options Sunday on how to use Hansbrough in the eight-team Maui Invitational.

Although last year's leading scorer and rebounder probably could have played eight or nine days earlier if a national title was on the line, Williams said, he still wants to be cautious since the team is playing so many days in a row.

For one thing, he's worried about the constant pounding.

For another, he's worried about the constant cajoling.

"I really wanted to play him 20 minutes [at UCSB], and he kept bugging the dickens out of me on the bench, and the only way I could get rid of him was to put him in the game so I ended up playing him 25,'' Williams said. "... I'm extremely concerned about going three straight days but nobody really knows -- the only person that gives you the kind of input you have to have is Tyler. Is there any pain there? If there's pain there, we stop. And he's feeling great.

"Also, I love him to death, but I'm not sure he would be 100 percent honest with me, so I have to keep asking him."

Thus, Williams had not ruled out holding Hansbrough out of tonight's game. Yes, it would push the forward back to that awkward, uncomfortable perch near the end of the bench where he resembles a caged tiger. But then he could possibly let the tiger back loose for the following two games.

"He's never been in that position [on the bench] since he's been here, and it's just something that's so unusual to him, watching,'' teammate Marcus Ginyard said. "I think Friday night was great for him, to be back on the court and back in his element ... and hopefully soon, he'll be able to stay there."