Oh brother

The label, he said, never irked him. Nor did the comma that always seemed to follow Ben Hansbrough's name.

During his first college season – whether he scored two points or 23 – Mississippi State's point guard was always referred to in the next day's paper as "Ben Hansbrough, the younger brother of North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough."

"Why would that bug me?" Ben said. "I like being Tyler's brother. I'm very proud of him."

Nearly 700 miles away, in Chapel Hill, the feeling is obviously mutual.

Tyler has been the talk of college basketball since embarking on his All-American career with the Tar Heels three years ago. These days, though, Ben is garnering some attention of his own.

A sophomore starter, Ben entered Mississippi State's game against undefeated Miami on Thursday averaging 10 points for the 5-3 Bulldogs, who are hoping to earn an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2005.

"Ben's a tough player, a tough competitor," said Tyler, a junior forward. "He shoots the ball well and passes well, but the main thing he has going for him is that competitive drive. He likes playing in the big game. He likes taking the big shot."

Ben's trophy case probably won't ever be as crowded as Tyler's and, unlike big bro, an NCAA title and an NBA career don't seem within reach. Still, referring to him simply as "the other Hansbrough" would be shortchanging Ben's status, talent and accomplishments.

Although he's not as tall as 6-foot-9 Tyler, Ben has good size for a guard at 6-3. He averaged 23.6 minutes per game as a backup last season before moving into the starting lineup as a sophomore.

With All-American candidate Jamont Gordon manning the point, Ben has moved to shooting guard, where he's playing 32 minutes a game.

"Now I feel like I can score more," Ben said. "I've got a lot more freedom. I've always been able to get into the lane and attack. But I'm a good shooter, too. That's one thing that's always set me apart."

As much as he admires Tyler, Ben didn't follow the same path to the Division I level as his older brother. Their father, Gene, said that Tyler's “main focus in life was to be a basketball player.” Ben shared that goal – but he had other interests, too.

"And that's not a knock on Ben," Gene said. "Everyone is different. Ben socialized with his friends a little more on the weekends. And sometimes, in the summer, he wouldn't go to AAU Tournaments because he had other stuff going on.

"But that's not to say he didn't work hard. He did."

Especially after committing to Mississippi State during his junior season at Missouri's Poplar Bluff High School.

It was then when Ben started following a strict weight program while becoming more of a presence in the huddle. Some mornings Tyler would arrive at school and find Ben shooting in the gym on his own.

"Turns out," Tyler said, "he'd been there since 6 a.m."

Tyler may have been the star of the team, but there was no de-valuing Ben's role. Some games he helped his team by scoring. Other times – especially when the score was tight – Ben knew his mission was simple: "Get the ball to Tyler!"

"I became a great post passer because of him," Ben said. "Now, when I'm driving to the lane, I'm always looking for my post men. It's just a habit I developed from playing with Tyler."

In the Missouri Class 4A state title game, Ben committed his fourth foul with about 6 minutes remaining and went to the bench. Just like that, St. Louis Vashon used its vaunted press to shave Poplar Bluff's double-digit lead to six.

"Ben came back in the game and broke that press (like it was nothing)," Gene said, "and that was the ballgame. It was a symbiotic relationship. He and Tyler together were better than individual."

Tyler was named the state's player of the year at the conclusion of the season. Ben took home the same award following his senior campaign. By then he had already made up his mind about where to attend college.

Some schools had tried to recruit Tyler and Ben as a package but, after Tyler chose North Carolina, most of them showed little interest in Ben individually. One school that did keep calling, though, was Mississippi State.

Ben, who also considered Southern Illinois, had attended the Bulldogs' team camp when he was in high school.

"Part of him wanted to make an identity for himself other than it being 'Tyler and his little brother, Ben,'" Gene said. "There was a little bit of that. But once he started playing he realized how much he missed playing with his brother.

"Tyler said the same thing: 'There's nothing like playing with your brother.'"

"Ben doesn't resent Tyler or any of his success. He loves his brother. They're each other's best friends. They'll both tell you that. They don't want anything but for one another to be successful."

Even though they're hundreds of miles away and in different conferences, Ben and Tyler stay well-abreast of each other's day-to-day accomplishments on the court.

"We talk all the time and give each other pointers," Tyler said. "I've played with Ben for so long that he knows what type of player I am."

Tyler chuckles.

"I miss listening to him telling me how poorly I'm playing at times," he said.

Ben knows he has plenty of improving to do, too. Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury wants him to be even more aggressive when it comes to shooting three-pointers and attacking the basket. Ben is shooting a team-high 89.6 percent from the free-throw line – but he's attempted just 17 foul shots. He also needs to get better defensively.

As much as it may help, don't expect Ben to try to sharpen his skills during a game of one-on-one with Tyler over the Christmas holidays. He's smarter than that.

"It'd be fun," Ben said, "but I don't think we need to take a chance on getting hurt."

Indeed, there are big games coming up. For both of them.