"Forward Tyler Hansbrough's practice days usually consist of some strength and agility drills with the team's strength and conditioning staff. Then, after his teammates have left, the Indiana Pacers' first-round pick will take the court for some individual work with an assistant coach.

That's not what the Pacers envisioned when they selected Hansbrough with the No. 13 pick in last summer's draft.

Not with 35 games remaining in the season.

They expected Hansbrough to be a high-energy player off the bench for them.

So much for wishful thinking.

Hansbrough's latest setback -- an inner ear infection -- has left the former University of North Carolina All-American sidelined for 14 of the past 18 games, and the team is not putting a target date on his return.

"It's a major setback for us," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "To have a guy that we drafted in the lottery only get just a tad over 500 minutes to this point in time is not what we had in mind and it's not what he had in mind. Not only is he injured and missing games, he never got training camp and by not getting training camp, that is significant."

Hansbrough came down with the inner ear infection in late December. He returned for four games but had to sit back down because of constant dizziness.

"That's when I realized it was more difficult than I planned," Hansbrough said. "This is the first time I've had an inner ear infection. To be honest, I've been pretty much injury free until this year. It's frustrating. It's the dizziness that's keeping me out.""