Hansbrough will likely play despite broken nose

~ The North Carolina player was fouled hard in Sunday's win over Duke.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Tyler Hansbrough will probably play in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament despite breaking his nose during the blood-filled final seconds of No. 8 North Carolina's victory over 14th-ranked Duke on Sunday.

Hansbrough suffered what coach Roy Williams said Monday was a small nondisplaced fracture when Duke's Gerald Henderson flagrantly fouled him with 14.5 seconds left in the Tar Heels' 86-72 win.

Williams said Hansbrough is being fitted with a custom-made protective mask and should be ready for North Carolina's first tournament game Friday. Hansbrough leads the team and ranks among the ACC's leaders with averages of 18.8 points and 8.0 rebounds.

The fracture was discovered during an X-ray Monday morning, Williams said during the ACC's weekly coaches' teleconference. Shortly after the game Williams had said Hansbrough's nose was not broken.

"I gave some bad information because I had a bad source ... the source was Tyler," Williams said Monday. "It's not completely broken. ... His nose did not have to be set, straightened out or anything like that."

Hansbrough had his nose broken after pulling down the rebound of his own missed free throw and going back up for a layup. Henderson leaped to block the shot and after the ball left Hansbrough's hand, Henderson's right elbow appeared to strike the Tar Heels' center in the nose, sending him crumpling to the ground.

Blood poured down Hansbrough's face and onto his lip, his chin and the court, and he had to be restrained from the Blue Devils as he went to the locker room. Henderson was ejected and received an automatic one-game suspension for Duke's ACC tournament opener against North Carolina State.

Williams also said that Hansbrough injured a tooth earlier in the game and will probably need a root canal after the season ends.

"I don't think there is any intentional planned thing, 'I'm going to go get the guy,"' Williams said. "I think it was an unfortunate thing that happened during the game."