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Going into the spring and summer, it was looking like there wouldn’t be a Tar Heel participating in the NBA Draft Combine after having a relatively decent showing the past couple years. Joel Berry II, Theo Pinson, and Luke Maye all entered the drafting process in hopes of getting a nibble from one of the teams in the league, or in Maye’s case, to be evaluated in order to see what he needs to work on before likely returning to UNC. Now that the combine is just two days away, the league decided to give a Tar Heel a chance to prove that he is worthy of being drafted.
Yahoo Sports writer Shams Charania sent out a tweet this afternoon stating that recent UNC graduate Theo Pinson will be added to the list of participants in this year’s NBA Draft Combine:
Late addition to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, league sources say: North Carolina's Theo Pinson. The 6-foot-6 guard has ability to play and defend multiple positions and had standout career at UNC that included 2017 NCAA title.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 14, 2018
This is huge news for Pinson, as he is coming off of what was a remarkable senior campaign with the Tar Heels. Pinson finished his senior year averaging 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Pinson’s height, athleticism, and versatility make him an ideal NBA prospect, and so it was puzzling to see him left off of the initial list. He has a pretty high ceiling, with his jump shot really being the main concern with him as a prospect. One can imagine that Pinson has spent a lot of time in the gym since the devastating loss to Texas A&M back in March, and so it will be very interesting to see what he can do to impress the NBA personnel in attendance.
The NBA Draft Combine takes plays May 16-20 at Quest Multisport in Chicago. It will be live on ESPN 2, and you will also be able to stream it using the WatchESPN app.