Speaking with the media ahead of Saturday’s rivalry matchup with NC State, UNC head men’s basketball coach Roy Williams said that, “Unless he screws it up at practice,” junior guard Theo Pinson will make his season debut in the game.
Pinson, a native of Greensboro, has been out since breaking his right foot during preseason practice.
The athletic 6-foot-6 wing averaged just 4.5 points and 2.9 assists last season, but has shown flashes of great potential that remind fans why he was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school.
Entering the 2016-17 campaign, Pinson was expected to take over as the starting shooting guard–with the idea that his versatility would allow the Tar Heels to experiment with many different lineup combinations.
His return against NC State–should the weather allow the game to go on–will certainly help the team defensively against the Wolfpack’s super-freshman, point guard Dennis Smith Jr.
Another area where UNC should see immediate benefits is with Pinson’s great passing and playmaking ability. The Tar Heels have turned the ball over at least 17 times in each of their last three games.
It is unclear at this point, however, how many minutes he will see on Saturday if he does play.
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