“People see the ’Psycho T’ personality and they associate that with him off the court, like he’s going to bite your head off if you come up to him or that he eats raw meat,” Frasor said. “When he steps on the court, it’s true: he’s in a different mind-set. Even in pickup (games) or practice, you can’t joke around with him. But off the court, once you get to know him and he opens up, he’s a character.”

Fans got a glimpse at his other side when photos surfaced on the Internet this year of Hansbrough and Frasor jumping off a fraternity house balcony and into a pool during an end-of-semester party. While they probably made Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams squeamish and created quite a buzz, Hansbrough shrugged it off as the kind of carefree moment he came back to college to experience.

“(Williams) kind of laughed about it,” Hansbrough said. “You could tell there was a sense of, ’Don’t do that again, please.’ But it was fun. You know, what do you do when one of your best friends jumps off the roof and everybody’s chanting your name to jump off? Say, ’Oh no, I can’t guys, I could get injured jumping off it?’ Yeah, you’re going to do it. There was like 15 other people that did it before me, I checked out the situation and thought it was fine.

“I’d do it again. Same thing.”

Still, Frasor said Hansbrough handles his celebrity well. He has seen how diners in area restaurants turn for a glimpse or whisper to each other when the hard-to-miss forward is in the room. He noticed when Hansbrough left several of his awards in the cab of his late-model pickup truck for a stretch while others were tucked away in his closet instead of being on display.

Then there’s the endless autograph requests, including one in which he signed a TV remote control because that’s all the seeker had handy. Not that Hansbrough seems to mind; he was once the eager youngster trying to get player autographs while attending basketball camps at Three Rivers Community College in his hometown of Poplar Bluff, Mo. The thrill he felt each time he got one keeps him signing just about everything to return the favor — particularly for children.

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As for all those magazines featuring him on the cover — they’re just about everywhere in Chapel Hill these days — Hansbrough is most interested in grabbing copies for his parents.

“A lot of times I don’t know (he’s on them) until I see them,” said his mother, Tami. “I’ll say, ’Why didn’t you tell me?’ and he’ll say, ’I just didn’t think about it.’ I’m not saying it’s not important, and certainly I love to see my son on a (magazine) cover. I just don’t think it’s something Tyler would seek out.”

The expectations facing Hansbrough on and off the court could be overwhelming, but at least for now he is keeping it all in perspective.

“I think there’s a lot of good players out there right now that could easily take over,” Hansbrough said. “I have to keep doing the same things that got me in this position. It’s just about getting a little better or it could go away quickly.”

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