Photo via Todd Melet

Cameron Johnson may have caught Pitt with its Pant(her)s down

Just when it looked like Carolina was going 0-2 with the players the Tar Heels needed to make a run at a third-straight Final Four, the news broke that Pitt transfer Cameron Johnson had somewhat shockingly committed to Roy Williams.

Without the departed Tony Bradley, the hoop Heels would still be young-but-big up front, but now the perimeter game looked better than ever considered just a week ago. Johnson released a statement to Inside Carolina late Tuesday and articulated, beautifully, why he will sign with UNC and why he should be eligible to play his two remaining seasons right away.

Johnson, a 6-8 forward in the mold of Justin Jackson, explained how he appealed Pitt’s decision not to let him transfer within the ACC without losing one of those seasons. He said the school from which he graduated in three years allowed him to “immediately receive athletically related financial aid” if he transferred to another ACC member. Johnson pointed out that graduate transfers having to sit out a season while receiving financial aid violates an NCAA bylaw, which he cited by number 14.6.1.

Cam Johnson, who played the last two years at Pitt, announced Tuesday he will transfer to UNC and play for head coach Roy Williams. (Pitt Athletics)

He said Pitt would have to rescind its original decision that he could receive financial aid while sitting out and that his Alma mater had already stated publicly that his new school could pay his bills. This young man, a two-time Academic All-American, and his family were obviously smart enough to get a pretty good lawyer.

Johnson also trotted out the rationale that Pitt had changed coaches and athletic directors in his last two years there and they were free to break their contracts and go anywhere they wanted. “As a student-athlete, who is not a paid-employee of the school, and a graduate, shouldn’t I be granted the same freedom of movement?” he asked.

Damn straight. And now with his legal team ready to ask the ACC and NCAA to back him up, Pitt may be left with the unpopular choice of going to court for a temporary restraining order to keep Cam from playing for the Tar Heels next season. I say, good luck with that.

(Feature Photo via Getty Images)

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