On Wednesday afternoon, the NCAA announced that North Carolina guard Leslie McDonald had been cleared, effective immediately. He missed nine games and will have to pay $1,783 to the charity of his choice for receiving impressible benefits.
Sources informed Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports McDonald was expected to be cleared, but the source was also said that P.J. Hairston is unlikely to play a game this season for the Tar Heels, according to the source.
In the statement the NCAA released on Wednesday, the last line read, “At this time, McDonald’s reinstatement request is the only one the NCAA has received from North Carolina.” That doesn’t offer much optimism for Hairston, who led the Tar Heels in scoring last season.
Hairston had a well-documented summer. He was pulled over twice by the police, both times he was driving vehicles rented by Fats Thomas, a convicted felon, who last month reached a plea deal for a previous arrest.
In July, Hairston was pulled over by authorities and cited with reckless driving. It was shortly thereafter that he was suspended indefinitely from the team.
McDonald averaged 7.2 points per game last season for the Tar Heels. Hairston, who elected to return to Chapel Hill for his junior season, could declare for the NBA draft a source told Yahoo Sports.