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UNC Basketball: Best Tar Heel Role Players of the Decade

By Nick Delahanty

GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: TV personality Jim Nantz speaks to head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels and his team after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: TV personality Jim Nantz speaks to head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels and his team after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 22: P.J. Hairston #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels tries to keep the ball in bounds as he is pressed by JayVaughn Pinkston #22 of the Villanova Wildcats in the second half during the second round of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 22, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. North Carolina won 78-71. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 22: P.J. Hairston #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels tries to keep the ball in bounds as he is pressed by JayVaughn Pinkston #22 of the Villanova Wildcats in the second half during the second round of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 22, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. North Carolina won 78-71. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

The best North Carolina basketball role players since 2010: P.J. Hairston

P.J. Hariston time at Chapel Hill didn’t end the way that the Tar Heels hoped it would. However, it’s hard to forget how Hairston was developing into a key member of Roy Williams’ rotation prior to his departure.

As a freshman, Hairston played a minimal role for the Tar Heels, averaging 13 minutes per-game. During his sophomore campaign, Hairston took great strides, and saw a drastic increase in playing time during the second half of the season.

Through 29 games, Hairston was averaging around 20 minutes per-contest. As he started playing at a very high level, his minutes skyrocketed, as he averaged 32 minutes of playing time over the Tar Heels final five games of the regular season.

Those five games at the end of the regular season gave the Tar Heels hope that Hairston was set to become the next star player in Chapel Hill. The 6-foot-6 guard led the Tar Heels in scoring during that span, posting 19.6 points-per-game. He earned Co-ACC Player of the Week honors in a week in which the Tar Heels battled against No. 2 ranked Duke and Virginia.

With his expanded role, Hairston shot the ball extremely well. Overall, he posted a 43% shooting percentage, including shooting 39.6% from three. His ability to shoot the ball and knock down shots consistently made it hard for Roy Williams to take him out of the lineup.

Unfortunately, Hairston’s tenure in Chapel Hill didn’t end well. He was suspended in 2013, and did not return to the program. He wound up playing in the NBA Development League for a season before being selected in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft.

If the situation was different, it is very possible that Hairston doesn’t end up on this list. With the way he was developing, you could definitely make the case that he would’ve been a star for the Tar Heels at least for one more season (if you factor he might have declared early for the NBA Draft).

It didn’t work out the way anyone hoped it would, but during his time in Chapel Hill, Hairston became a quality role player that ended up providing some key minutes for the Tar Heels down the stretch.

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