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Roy Williams: PJ Hairston ‘has made serious mistakes and there will be serious consequences’

North Carolina v Texas

AUSTIN, TX - DECEMBER 19: Head coach Roy Williams of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels reacts to his team’s play against the University of Texas Longhorns on December 19, 2012 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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Roy Williams has finally commented on PJ Hairston, North Carolina’s leading returning scorer that has managed to turn himself into college basketball’s messiest offseason storyline.

A quick recap?

Hairston was arrested for driving a 2013 GMC Yukon on a suspended license. There was weed in the car and a gun found outside of it, although it appears as if there won’t be charges for the gun. It turns out that the Yukon was rented by a convicted felon named Fats Thomas, and that a woman that lives with Fats rented a 2012 Camaro that Hairston got a speeding ticket while driving. Thomas and his roommate have spent more that $15,000 on rental cars since February, with four of those cars accumulating nine tickets on UNC’s Chapel Hill campus during that time frame. Oh, and the NCAA is poking around about Hairston’s relationship with Rodney Blackstock, the agent that has been connected to Ben McLemore.

“P.J. and I have had several discussions already and he knows he has made serious mistakes and there will be serious consequences as a result,” Williams said in the release. “Certainly the idea of suspending P.J. has been discussed. However, he is not currently enrolled in summer school, is not practicing with the team and we have no games until November. There are several options available in terms of discipline, but we are going to wait until the process is complete to decide on those options.”

The more information that comes out, the more dire the circumstances are for Hairston. In addition to a potential suspension from the team for his arrest, there is the whole issue of illegal benefits that he’s received from Thomas. He could face a lengthy suspension from the NCAA, and potentially be ruled ineligible.

In short, there’s a good chance that we may never see PJ Hairston in a North Carolina uniform again.

Here is Williams’ statement in full:

I initially decided not to make a statement about P.J. (Hairston) until the legal process had been finalized. I believe that is the fair way that everyone should be treated and is the way of our country.

P.J. and I have had several discussions already and he knows he has made serious mistakes and there will be serious consequences as a result. Certainly the idea of suspending P.J. has been discussed. However, he is not currently enrolled in summer school, is not practicing with the team and we have no games until November. There are several options available in terms of discipline, but we are going to wait until the process is complete to decide on those options.

Other issues have been written about recently that are disturbing and bother me deeply. Our basketball program is based on great ideals, and these issues are embarrassing. These are not common in my 10 years as head coach at UNC, and they will all be dealt with harshly and appropriately at the correct time to ensure that our program will not be compromised.

We will care about each individual, but there will be serious actions taken that will fix these issues. I take pride in our values and how we have conducted ourselves for a long time here at Carolina, and this time will pass, but it will be dealt with strongly.

We are talking about a program that has been a model of success on and off the court, and it will be again. I want to thank our fans for their patience, understanding and support.