Apr 30, 2013; Greensboro, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head basketball coach Roy Williams hits a shot during the Chick-fil-A Challenge at the Reynolds Plantation Resort. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell/CFA-pr via USA TODAY Sports **HAND OUT PHOTO **

Today, head basketball coach Roy Williams finally broke the silence on Hairston and his status with the team. The university released a quick statement following the arrest but didn’t give any details on Hairston. Williams’ remarks are the first we’ve heard since that small statement UNC released.

From USA Today:

“We are doing one thing: We are waiting until all the information comes out,” Williams told USA TODAY Sports on Monday. “The good thing is, I don’t have to make a decision right now because we’re in summer school, fall semester has not started, basketball has not started. We’re going to wait and see what happens. I’ve got some ideas, but right now those ideas are staying in my mind.

I am waiting until all the facts come in and then I will take care of everything that needs to be taken care of.”

So it appears a firm standing and decision on Hairston’s status with the school will wait until firm details are released and given to Williams and the university.

Hairston was arrested with two friends and then released on $1,000 unsecured bonds that night of the arrest.

Inside Carolina had been reporting that Hairston would be punished internally and wouldn’t miss practice or any games this coming fall. Then we learned of the weapon being found at his arrest in which a mystery about his status was made. He did work Williams’ basketball camp just last week.

Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday just after his official visit to Ohio State, elite shooting guard prospect D’Angelo Russell pulled the trigger to commit to the Buckeyes.  Russell joins Thad Matta’s 2014 class alongside two other ESPN top 60 recruits Jae’Sean Tate and Keita Bates-Diop.  Russell was one of the 4 shooting guards offered by Roy Williams which also included newly Tar Heel commit Theo Pinoson, and five star recruits Rashad Vaughn and Devin Booker.

The fact Booker committed elsewhere besides UNC isn’t terribly surprising.  Russell’s game is very similar to Theo Pinson’s and two passing slashers are counter productive to the team in my opinion, regardless of how talented both players are.  There are some positives and negatives with the loss of Russell to Ohio State.  The positives are like I said before, Pinson’s and Russell’s games are too similar and having two of the same players I feel can be counterproductive, and it opens up a possible spot for a purer scorer such as Booker, Vaughn, and even ESPN 60 prospect Ahmed Hill who has recently garnered some attention.  The negatives are point guard commit Joel Berry and Russell are AAU teammates and friends who have a good chemistry in the back court.  I am not a fan of package deals, but having teammates commit together can be beneficial on how they already know each others strengths and weaknesses.  Another negative is that Russell is just a good player in general, sometimes having all of the best players can help, ask Kentucky for example.

The lineup for the 2014-15 season has incredible potential.  Assuming McAdoo and Hairston depart for the NBA and with Leslie, graduating there will be holes needed to be filled in the back court.  All three (maybe four) recruits can come in and instantly fight for playing time.  Some sources even have commits Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson starting over some of the upperclassmen.  Basically at this moment there are many talented players coming to Chapel Hill in the class of 2014 and while missing out on Russell the Heels will be ok!

Mar 22, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Marcus Paige (5) puts up a shot against the Villanova Wildcats in the first half during the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

While Nate Britt probably won’t be the starting point guard for the Tar Heels next season, he does provide another threat for the Heels coming off the bench. The previous two seasons, the Tar Heels haven’t had much depth at the point guard position. That changes as Britt enters the rotation next year.

Dexter Strickland was a good fill in at the point guard spot when Paige was off the floor, but we know that Dex was not a natural point guardwhen he came to Carolina and that Roy was fortunate the he had three years of experience backing up that position to get the team by. With Britt in the fold, it should be a much more natural transition.

Britt, a 6′-1″ 170-pound point guard played his high school ball at the prestigious Oak Hill Academy. He should fit right in with Roy’s fast paced offense, which they will look to execute next season.

Carolina is known for producing good point guards, and the next two in line should follow that.

With Britt coming in, it gives Carolina options off the bench. Britt has a nice mid-range touch on his jumper and handles the ball well.

Paige is also a good ball handler, and can score if needed. Both give Carolina a decent perimeter threat to go along with Hairston and McDonald.

The key to success for Carolina next season could be their bench play, and it could start with Nate Britt.

Obviously this is big news for North Carolina’s basketball team and depending on the severity of the punishment, the Heels could be in trouble long before next season gets underway. Once we learn get more information we will certainly keep you posted.

ALERT: UNC basketball player PJ Hairston arrested on pot possession charge http://t.co/69ehgyOjYN

— WRAL NEWS in NC (@wral) June 6, 2013

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Mar 9, 2013; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Joel James (0) and forward J.P. Tokoto (25) and forward Brice Johnson (11) react toward the end of the game. The Blue Devils defeated the Tar Heels 69-53 at the Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Between Joel James, Desmond Hubert and Brice Johnson someone has to drastically get better and take control of the starting center position. Incoming freshman forward Isaiah Hicks and center Kennedy Meeks will contribute but for the heels to maximize the potential, one of the more experienced big’s must play much better and solidify that position.

I feel the Tar Heels are ready to make a run at the ACC title and their first final four since 2009, but small ball will not cut it. Just go back to UNC’s 3rd round NCAA tournament loss to Kansas. Carolina allowed KU center Jeff Whithey to control the paint in the second half, he dominated the boards, blocked shots and the Tar Heels had no answer.

As the final seconds of the 2012-13 season ticked away one could only ponder, what if UNC had a big man? The guy who I think will get the first crack at filling this void is center Joel James. In my opinion James has the most upside of the group but he is also the most puzzling.

The 6’10″, 260 pound sophomore is big and strong and has a soft shooting touch but far too often James looks lost on the court and his stone like hands lead to way to many unforced errors. If this continues he will keep a seat next to Coach Williams.

Next in the pecking order is Brice Johnson. Now the lanky 6’9″, 187 pound forward is not as big as his competitor for the starting spot but he is much more skilled at this point. Johnson can score inside as well as knock down the mid-range jump shot 12-15 feet. His athleticism allows him to be a decent shot blocker, but his lack of strength allows opponents to back him down in the post and that negates his ability to block shots. If the super skinny Johnson were to start it would almost certainly mean forward James Michael McAdoo would go back to the “five” and for UNC that is still a pretty small front-court.

Then there is junior center Desmond Hubert. He is the best of the group defensively but he is the worst offensively. Hubert has great length and has bulked up and should become a great shot blocker but his lack of rebounding and offensive production will reduce the time on the court whether he starts or not. For most Tar Heel fans the top question of the summer is “who’s the man in the middle?” For those who bleed Carolina blue let’s hope this question is answered sooner rather than later.

With Joel Berry committed to Chapel Hill, it’d be a shocked to see Jones commit to Roy Williams and the Tar Heels. So the 6-1 point guard from Saint Paul, MN has been busy getting acquainted with other schools.

The Duke Blue Devils are the favorites to land Jones and his talented services, but it seems Richard Pitino and the Gophers would love to get their hands on the number one in-state player.

“I’ve been in contact with him every so often,” Jones told the MN Daily. “I’m just trying to build a relationship with him and go from there.

Jones has received offers from Duke, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, North Carolina, Arizona, Indiana, and Nebraska.

Jones on the recruiting process

“You look at the schooling — education — first,” he said. “Then you just look at a lot of little stuff — who else they’re recruiting, how the coach coaches, you know the style of play and the coaching philosophies and stuff like that — also you look at the coaches’ relationships with his players.”

Jones on Coach Pitino’s up tempo playbook

“It fits,” he said. “I’m trying to go somewhere where I can get up and down and really just play basketball — not really too structured — so it helps.”

Jones on the new Minnesota coaching staff

“(They’re) just hungry and excited to get going,” he said. “They’re challenged and new opportunities for them, so it’s exciting to see that they’re so into it and so passionate about it.”

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Mar 21, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams addresses the media during practice the day before the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The North Carolina Tar Heels received great news on Wednesday when in state small forward and five star prospect Theo Pinson committed to the Tar Heels. Much of the fan base predicted him to take his services to Indiana, but those fans were proved happily wrong.

Maybe some fans think now that UNC has Pinson committed that there is no room for the consensus number one target Rashad Vaughn. Pinson committing should not sway his recruitment, the two play different positions and there is still much playing time to go around for the 2014-2015 year on the perimeter. Coach Williams will still be pressing for Vaughn, but many expect now that it will be a dog fight for him.

Theo’s decision has more impact than just on the court.

There is one major thing that UNC having Pinson helps them with off of the basketball court. That “thing” is 2016 recruit Harry Giles. Giles has been called by Dave Telep as one of the best freshman prospects that he has ever evaluated.

For those who do not know, Giles attends Wesleyan Christian Academy: the same school Pinson attends. Giles also plays for Team CP3, the same AAU club Pinson plays for. There have been reports that Giles was a UNC fan growing up, and he is the only freshman Roy Williams has ever offered a scholarship to. Theo Pinson will be a senior next year and Giles will be a sophmore.

At Pinson’s announcement Wednesday he said he will be working Harry. He also jokingly put his UNC hat on Giles’s head, who then took it off after. Having Pinson at school and on the same basketball team as Giles will help the Tar Heels immensely in recruiting him.

Pinson is now an extension of UNC recruiting and will try to get Giles to UNC when that time comes. Also with having Pinson, UNC now has three players ranked in the top 15 for the 2014 class. Not one big name school has that situation at the moment. Most fans think that the 2014 class is not done yet either, it may be or may not be. Who knows. One thing for sure is that with having these three great players committed so early is that Coach Williams and the rest of the staff can get a head start on the 2015 and 2016 classes.

UNC now has the time to  start very early and strong with these classes, more so than other schools. Yes, the 2014 class for UNC is not done yet or set in stone, but look for a good amount of recruiting to be done on the guys in the 2015 and 2016 classes.

Recruiting at North Carolina is about to step it up to another notch. Theo Pinson committing to UNC early as well as Justin Jackson and Joel Berry could play a huge role in the future recruiting for the Tar Heels.