Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina’s star, was awarded the Oscar Robertson Trophy on Friday, being named and acknowledged as the nation's top college basketball player.

The US Basketball Writers Association offered him the trophy during its annual college basketball awards breakfast in San Antonio.

Hansbrough has led the Tar Heels to record 36 victories before going into their game against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

Hansbrough, who played at Poplar Bluff, Mo., was named the top college freshman player by the US basketball writers just two years ago.

The North Carolina forward has averaged over 23 points and 10 rebounds per each game, and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year this season.

Hansbrough is the fourth player in North Carolina that ever won the Robertson trophy, while the other three were Phil Ford in 1978, Michael Jordan in 1984 and Antawn Jamison in the 1998 season.

The trophy was named after Oscar Robertson, who was a member of basketball's Hall of Fame, an all-America college player and an all-star in the NBA. In 1996, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.