University of North Carolina All-America forward Tyler Hansbrough will return to school to play for the Tar Heels in 2006-07, Hansbrough and UNC head coach Roy Williams announced today. Hansbrough earned first-team All-America honors this year from The Sporting News and the Commonwealth Club of Kentucky (Rupp Awards) and was a third-team All-America selection by The Associated Press and National Association of Basketball Coaches.

He is the first Tar Heel freshman ever to earn All-America honors. The Poplar Bluff, Mo., native also was the first freshman to ever be a unanimous first-team All-ACC selection and the ACC Rookie of the Year.

"I never really considered leaving for the NBA after this season," says Hansbrough. "However, Coach Williams still provided me information he learned from his contacts in the league and after listening to that information I still think it is best for me to come back and be with my teammates again and hopefully have another fantastic season."