Tyler Hansbrough didn't surprise any of his North Carolina teammates when he continued to play despite breaking his nose against Duke in the regular-season finale.

It just wouldn't have been right for a guy who's nicknamed "Psycho T" to miss any time for such a trivial injury.

While North Carolina relied on its athleticism to produce a furious up-and-down-the-court style of offense that was second in the nation in scoring, the sophomore forward brought an added dimension of toughness, which he exhibits in all basketball-related activities.

"He's very physical — the most physical player we've played in a couple of years, if you ask me," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "It is said that we are such a physical team. But that kid is more physical than all of our guys put together."

Heading into Friday's Sweet 16 matchup against Southern California, the 6-foot-9, 245-pound Hansbrough leads the Tar Heels with 18.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. In the first two NCAA Tournament games, Hansbrough averaged 27 points and 9.5 rebounds in victories against Eastern Kentucky and Michigan State.

"He is a physical player, but he's got great touch," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "He's worked so hard that he has made himself more athletic than people imagined. That touch is a gift and that stamina comes from how he works so hard all the time."

It didn't take long for people to notice his intensity when he arrived at North Carolina. On his second day there, while training with strength and conditioning coordinator Jonas Sahratian, Hansbrough was working out his lower body, and the combination of his facial expressions and primal screams caused Sahratian to nickname him "Psycho T."

He brings that same mentality every day to practice, and doesn't let up on his teammates, no matter what the Tar Heels are working on.

"I take a whole lot from him because we have been practicing against each other the whole season," freshman forward Brandan Wright said. "Playing against him is very tough. He prepares me well for the game and how the game is going to be."

Off the court, he's shown he won't shy away from contact.

After big wins, Hansbrough mixes it up in the locker room in a mosh pit.

Hansbrough also considers himself one of the team's better ping pong players. The Tar Heels play with one rule change. If a player scores two points in a row, the opponent must put his shirt over his head and allow the other player to drill him with the ping pong ball.

Naturally, he brings the same mentality to the court. He's not afraid to bang bodies inside with his post-up moves or power through defenders for a dunk. He's also developed a mid-range jumper to complement his post play.

And he's just as tenacious when it comes to rebounding.

"I've never seen a guy like him that has (such) good hands," Izzo said. "He gets his fingernail on the ball, he keeps it."

Hansbrough suffered the broken nose in the closing seconds of the victory against Duke when Gerald Henderson flagrantly fouled him with an elbow.

At first, Hansbrough told his coaches and teammates that it was not broken.

But when X-rays revealed a break, he was forced to wear a protective mask. He finally discarded the mask for good early against Michigan State.

"I don't think I'm ever going to like a mask on my face after these couple of weeks," Hansbrough said. "It's one of those things that's like a little bee around your face that you try to slap away, but it won't go away."