It was early in his freshman season and Ben Hansbrough kept calling his mother, Tami, telling her how unhappy he was in SEC country at Mississippi State.
Then she would convey the message to her middle son, Tyler, who would assure her he went through the same thing when he arrived at North Carolina just one year earlier.
"He's just homesick," Tyler would say. "He'll be fine."
Ben's playing time increased, as did his production on the court, but he still called home with that same tone in his voice.
Hansbrough just didn't fit in in Starkville, Miss., with the players or even with most of the coaching staff — and after two years and 28 starts as a sophomore, Psycho B left to return to the Midwest.
"It just wasn't the best fit for me," Ben said.
"It just wasn't the right program," added Tyler, a former North Carolina star now with the NBA's Indiana Pacers. "He didn't have a lot of friends on the team, and he just didn't fit in. It wasn't the chemistry he wanted."
So Hansbrough, who went to Mississippi State only because it was the lone high-major school to pursue him out of Poplar Bluff High in Missouri, became a hot commodity this time around.
There was interest from Oklahoma State, Purdue, Missouri and countless other big-time programs.
But the 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard took a visit to Notre Dame — and committed to the Irish two days later.
"He fit in right away," Tyler said. "You could tell he bonded with his teammates in a way he didn't at Mississippi State."
But there was still an adjustment period on the court for Hansbrough, who has been the key this season in leading the Irish to a top-10 ranking and consideration as one of the nation's most surprising teams.
First, he had to learn how to slow down.
"I was going 100 miles an hour when I got here," Hansbrough admitted. "But coach (Mike) Brey has molded me."
There were leadership issues, as well.
A year ago, Hansbrough's first on the court with the Irish after sitting out the 2008-09 season because of transfer rules, his intensity didn't always sit well with his teammates.
"Last year, he ruffled feathers at times," Brey recalled.
Hansbrough is vocal and unafraid to get on guys, and no one knows that better than Tyler, who was the recipient of many tongue lashings in their high school days.
"He'd always call me out on it and let me know if I wasn't playing well or doing something I should have been," Tyler said. "That's what I loved about him, but not everyone reacts the way I did."
Especially not last season in South Bend.
"I didn't really know it until after the season," Hansbrough admitted. "I learned that sometimes you can't always beat guys over the head.
"My will to win sometimes gets the best of me."
Hansbrough toned it down a notch, picked his spots and now has become not only one of the top players in the nation but also one of the elite leaders.
"He learned to become a great leader," Brey said. "He's off the charts. He sets the tone and has an edge. He's special."
Hansbrough leads Notre Dame in scoring (18.4 points per game) and assists (4.2) while shooting 44 percent from 3-point range. This on a team that is 24-5 and 13-4 in the Big East, the nation's toughest league.
Earlier this week, in his final home game, Hansbrough made 7 of 10 shots from beyond the arc, went for 30 points and also dished out 10 assists in a rout of Villanova.
A win Saturday at UConn coupled with a Pittsburgh loss at home to Villanova would give the Irish a share of the Big East regular-season crown.
Most predicted Notre Dame would have to scrap just to get into the NCAA tournament, but Hansbrough has this team in the mix for a No. 1 seed.
And while Hansbrough deflects much of the credit to teammates such as Tim Abromaitis, Carleton Scott, Scott Martin and Tyrone Nash, the difference with Notre Dame comes down to the youngest Hansbrough brother.
Tyler and Ben both credit a stay in Chapel Hill this past summer and watching NBA floor leader Raymond Felton and his work ethic.
"Ben was blown away how hard he worked," said Tyler, who started the family on its nickname path when he was dubbed Psycho T by North Carolina's strength coach. "And it rubbed off on him."
While Tyler always has been consumed by working hard on his own and having a routine, Ben always had focused on just playing — whether it was 1-on-1 or pickup.
That changed this past summer.
"I'm not going to lie," Tyler Hansbrough said. "He's really improved his game."
Maybe enough to win Big East Player of the Year and take this Irish team deep into the NCAA tournament.
