Barry Jacobs On Hansbrough Free Throws!

We count four viable candidates for 2007 ACC player of the year. Two are deserving longshots, Al Thornton of Florida State and Zabian Dowdell of Virginia Tech. The favorites appear to be Boston College senior Jared Dudley, the league's top scorer and rebounder, and North Carolina sophomore Tyler Hansbrough, the focal player on the ACC's top team.Both Dudley and Hansbrough have plenty of help. BC's Tyrese Rice and Sean Marshall rank in the top 14 in ACC scoring. Hansbrough merely has the support of a cast of thousands. Well, almost.

One place where Hansbrough is in a class by himself is at the foul line. The Tar Heel bruiser has attempted 238 free throws in UNC's 29 games, an average of 8.2 tries per outing. Only Wake's Kyle Visser, with 199 attempts in 27 games, was within hailing distance.

Hansbrough, who is four months younger than Dudley, the senior, is en route to one of the most prolific foul shooting performances in recent ACC history. With two regular season games remaining, and a minimum of one appearance in each the ACC and NCAA tournaments, the 6-9 post player projects to attempt at least 271 free throws in 2007.

Should UNC proceed deep into postseason play in 2007, Hansbrough figures to finish among the top dozen or so players in ACC history in free throw attempts in one season.

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