North Carolina and Theo Pinson announced on Wednesday that the 6-foot-6 wing will be returning to school for his senior season.
“I’m glad I took the time to explore the NBA Draft process but I am going to play my senior year as a Tar Heel,” said Pinson in a statement. “It was a dream of mine to play college basketball at the best school and in the best league in the country, and it is a dream of mine to play in the NBA as well. The best path for me to reach the league and have a long career there is to have a great senior season and I am so excited to have that opportunity to play another year for Coach Williams and finish my degree as well.”
As a junior, Pinson averaged 6.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists despite battling foot injuries throughout the year. A former five-star prospect, Pinson has developed into a key role player for the Tar Heels, a guy that fits in perfectly on the wing.
Last week, Joel Berry II announced that he would be returning to school for his senior season as well, meaning that Roy Williams is currently waiting on two decisions: Tony Bradley and Kevin Knox. Bradley is a potential first round pick if he opts to head to the NBA, but he’s also a guy that could end up being one of the five best big men in college basketball should he return to school. Knox, a top ten prospect in the Class of 2017, would be the ideal replacement for Justin Jackson on the wing. He is expected to make a decision soon, and will reportedly be picking between UNC, Duke, Kentucky and Florida State.
If the Tar Heels get both of those players, they’ll likely end up being the preseason No. 1 team in the country.