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The Big East’s most valuable player also is it’s most reviled.
Notre Dame’s Ben Hansbrough, who has transformed the Irish into a tough, resilient team that can complement its exceptional shooting with defense, is the player opponents love to hate.
But they respect the tenacity and will to win of the senior guard, who makes his debut in the Big East tournament today against Cincinnati.
“Plenty of guys are chatty, but Hansbrough is a different type of chatty,” South Florida guard Anthony Crater told The Post. “He actually gets under your skin and makes you mad. So you have to try to keep your composure.”
Hansbrough averaged 18.5 points on 45-percent shooting on 3-pointers, third best in the conference. He saved his best for last, making 16-of-21 field goal attempts, including 12-of-16 from behind the arc and 7-of-7 from the line in the final two games.
But Hansbrough actually might be better in the game within the game. No player is better at grabbing, holding and flopping.
“He actually bumped into me but flopped, and he does that all the time and gets the call,” said Crater. “And that’s something I can’t stand.”
He got the call?
“Yes sir,” Crater said. “In our house.”
Shockingly, Hansbrough did not receive an Academy Award nomination.
“He’s a good player,” Villanova guard Corey Fisher said. “I don’t really know how they run things over there but playing against him, he’s a competitor. The one thing you notice is he led his team this year.”
In a 70-67 win at Connecticut late in the season, Hansbrough fouled out just minutes after returning to the court by bowling over Shabazz Napier with a little extra elbow grease.
“When we played them he was walking towards our guys to shake hands before the national anthem was over, which I wasn’t to keen on,” a league coach said. “He’s the kind of kid you want to knock his head off — unless he’s playing for you. Then you love him.”
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Two guys I want to meet in 20 years: Marquette’s Robert Frozena and Providence’s Chris Carter.
Frozena is the first four-year walk-on in Marquette history. He’s majoring in financing and market, and also getting a math degree. Carter is a business-political science major who intends to get his MBA in business and then head to law school.
They both checked into Marquette’s 87-66 win over Providence, and with about one minute remaining, they found themselves standing under the basket.
Frozena said to Carter with a smile, “Playing in the Garden!”
Carter’s response: “My first time.”
Frozena: “My second.”
Frozena was a star at his small Wisconsin high school, St. Mary Central. On Marquette’s senior night, 300 fans from his hometown of Sherwood, Wisc., chartered two buses to see him honored. The St. Mary Central choir sang the national anthem.
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St. John’s forward Justin Burrell threw his back out during a dunk against South Florida on Senior Night. He was limited to two points and two rebounds in 13 minutes in St. John’s 65-63 controversy-filled victory over Rutgers.
After the game, he was treated by trainer Ron Linfonte and one of his star students, physical therapist Marty Jaramillo, who has worked with the Knicks.
“I couldn’t even touch my toes before the game,” Burrell said. “Now I can touch the floor.”
St. John’s hopes he can touch the rim today against Syracuse.
