Tyler Hansbrough Should Become North Carolina's All-Time Leading Scorer Tonight

North Carolina is one of those programs whose history drops jaws. Just the names of the players that have come through Chapel Hill are amazing. Michael Jordan. James Worthy. Sam Perkins. Billy Cunningham. Phil Ford. Antawn Jamison. Walter Davis. The list goes on.

By the end of the night, none of them will have scored as many points for the Tar Heels than Tyler Hansbrough. Psycho T is just nine points away from passing Ford and become the all-time leading scorer in UNC history. The Tar Heels host Evansville tonight.

When records fall, there are two stories to follow. One is the greatness of the player who is toppling the record. We all know about Hansbrough and what he has meant to the Carolina program. But the second story is about the record itself and who held it.

It is amazing that Ford has kept this record since graduating in 1978. Again, guys like Jordan, Worthy, Perkins, Jamison, Vince Carter and more have came and went since Ford. Sure, most of the best scorers since 1978 have left early for NBA riches (I think that Joseph Forte would have owned the record if he hadn't left after his sophomore season) but that shouldn't diminish the record.

UNC officials are hopeful that Ford will be at the Dean Smith Center tonight to watch his record fall (UPDATE: he will be). Ford, who is an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats, didn't make Saturday's win over Oral Roberts because the Bobcats had a game. Charlotte doesn't play until tomorrow night in Memphis.

With it being mid-December, Hansbrough still has a shot at becoming the ACC's all-time leading scorer. He currently trails J.J. Redick by 487 points. The Heels have at least 23 games remaining this season (and that is if they lose in the first rounds of the ACC and NCAA Tournaments). That means Hansbrough must average 21.2 points per game the rest of the season to pass Redick. If you figure the Heels will get to the ACC Tournament championship and at least the Final Four, Hansbrough would only need to average 17.4 points per game.

Hansbrough is currently averaging 22.8 points this season. If you take out his first two games which he was eased back from injuries, he is averaging 28.3 points.