UNC Basketball: The journey of Joel Berry II and Theo Pinson
Joel Berry and Theo Pinson only have one more home game left in their careers. Let’s take a look back at the journey they’ve been on since signing with UNC, and why they are two of the most special Tar Heels ever
As impossible as it seems to believe, it’s true; Joel Berry II and Theo Pinson only have one more game left at the Dean E. Smith Center in their storied careers at North Carolina.
It has been a wild journey ever since Berry and Pinson signed with UNC back in 2014; full of emotions, highlights, heartbreak, and memories.
Berry and Pinson first signed with UNC, along with Justin Jackson, at the height of the NCAA investigation into academic misconduct at the University of North Carolina.
When so many other recruits turned Roy Williams down around that time, Berry, Pinson, and Jackson ignored the negativity and bought into what the Hall-of-Fame Coach was saying.
The importance of those three signing with Carolina cannot be understated, as that class really kept UNC basketball afloat when times got tough due to the impending investigation.
Berry and Pinson both went through their own individual struggles during their respective freshman seasons. Pinson suffered a broken left foot in January of 2015, and Berry struggled to find consistent time on the court, averaging just 13.2 minutes per game.
Carolina’s season that first year came to an end in the Sweet 16, in what finished off an overall underwhelming season for the freshman duo.
The 2015-16 season was a different story.
Each player saw an uptick in playing time, with Berry earning the starting point guard position, and Pinson solidifying himself as an invaluable “do it all” player, who was great for team chemistry on and off the court.
By March, Berry found himself as the MVP of the ACC Tournament, and Pinson found himself hilariously crashing press conferences.
Both players played vital roles in North Carolina’s tournament run and both were crushed following the heartbreak of the national title loss to Villanova. Instead of dwelling on the loss, they used it as motivation and vowed they would be back to finish the job.
One year later, they did just that, although the journey back would not be easy.
The injury bug struck Pinson yet again at the start of the season, this time with a bone fracture in his right foot. Pinson would be forced to sit until January, but upon his return, he made his presence felt. The 6-foot-6 wing played the role of a quintessential glue guy for the 2017 Tar Heels, providing outstanding defense, playmaking, and the occasional highlight.
As a junior, Berry stepped forward as the team’s leader, and its heart and soul. However, he was not immune to injuries himself.
The Apopka, Florida native sprained his right ankle in UNC’s NCAA Tournament opener against Texas Southern. While Berry was able to make it through the next two games relatively easily, he re-aggravated the sprain in practice before the Elite Eight matchup against Kentucky.
To make matters worse, Berry rolled the OTHER ankle on a drive to the basket in the first half against the Wildcats. Despite this, Berry was still able to make some big plays late and help lead Carolina to victory. Berry’s status was questionable for the National Semifinal against Oregon, as his ankle had swollen and gotten much worse.
The point guard was able to play but he struggled to score finishing the game with just 11 points on 2-8 shooting. Berry also missed four crucial free throws. However, thanks to some huge plays late, (including a crucial offensive rebound by Pinson) the Tar Heels pulled off the win, making it back to the National Championship game.
Pinson scored the first points of the game, on a breakaway dunk that gave Carolina’s offense some much-needed momentum. His beautiful assist late in the game to Justin Jackson was the play that put UNC ahead for good.
From the opening tip, Berry was determined to play through the pain in his ankle and finish the job this time around.
He did just that, leading all scorers with 22 points and leading UNC to victory.
In the process, Berry was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Oh, and he accomplished all of this on TWO bad ankles.
After briefly testing the waters of the NBA Draft, both Berry and Pinson announced they would be returning to North Carolina for their senior seasons.
This season, Berry and Pinson have adopted a new role. The senior duo has been tasked with leading a much younger and differently skilled team than with what they had become accustomed.
Thus, their leadership skills were tested. Because of the youth and changes in personnel, UNC has gone through some real struggles this season.
There was a particular stretch in January in which the Tar Heels dropped three-straight games, and as a result, critics and fans alike began to question the team’s effort and toughness.The nadir of this stretch was January 31st at Clemson when UNC had allowed themselves to get down 16 points at halftime to a team they had beaten just a few weeks earlier.
The scene in the locker room was not pretty. Coming off two straight losses, Carolina had played lazy on both ends of the court in the first half.
After Roy Williams finished delivering a fiery speech intended to get his guys to wake up, Joel Berry gave one of his own. It was short but concise. “We have a challenge in front of us. We either take it or we back down from it.”
The Tar Heels took it.
UNC came out a completely different team in the second half, climbing all the way back from the significant halftime deficit to tie the game with under two minutes to go.
Carolina didn’t win the game, but this was the moment that changed their season. This moment was the difference between a frustrating team that could potentially miss the NCAA Tournament, and a squad now in the midst of a six-game winning streak, heating up at the perfect time.
Throughout UNC’s explosive, season-changing winning streak, Pinson has been the team’s best and, arguably, most valuable player.
The Greensboro, North Carolina native has averaged 12.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.. Simply put, Pinson is playing the best basketball of his career. This new level of play is a great sign for UNC Basketball, and it very well could propel the Tar Heels to a third straight Final Four.
March is fast approaching and for the third straight year, the North Carolina Tar Heels are in a great position to make a deep tournament run. And for the third straight year, Joel Berry and Theo Pinson are a big reason why that is the case.
No matter how far UNC makes it this postseason, the legacies of Berry and Pinson are already solidified. But as you know by now, this senior duo is never satisfied.
It’s rare; especially in today’s hectic college basketball environment, to find a pair of former McDonald’s All-Americans come to a school and grow on and off the court together for four years as Berry and Pinson have.
Their legacy at UNC will never be forgotten. Berry and Pinson have been two instrumental players in one of the most successful three-year runs in the history of Carolina Basketball. They started off as nothing more than roommates; now they have become best friends, champions, and Tar Heels for life.
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They have left UNC fans with memories on and off the court that will last forever. The best part is, they aren’t done yet.