University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Many Happy Returns
March 4, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
By Adam Lucas
ATLANTA—Theo Pinson missed plenty while injuring his foot at Wake Forest on Jan. 21. But at no point during the 11 games he missed did he forget how to count.
Pinson's sudden appearance in the closing minutes of Tuesday's 81-49 victory over Georgia Tech was the game's most unexpected highlight. Roy Williams had said on Monday he did not expect his freshman to play. But then, with less than three minutes remaining, there was Pinson, stripping off his warmup shirt and bouncing to the scorer's table with just a hint of that ever-present grin.
Carolina had the game well in hand; it would eventually be the program's biggest win ever over the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta. Pinson was not checking in to work on his defensive footwork, or to keep the Jackets off the offensive boards. No, the freshman had only one goal in mind:
“I told everyone I was going to get one up,” he said frankly.
A bystander told Pinson he had done even better than that, that he had actually hoisted two shots. Pinson looked offended.
“I got three!” he replied eagerly.
Indeed, he got three. Even better, he made two of them, including just the seventh three-pointer of his young Carolina career. Truthfully, however, the outcome of those shots wasn't nearly as important as the fact that Pinson was out there taking them.
The Greensboro native has some unwelcome experience with foot injuries, and when he'd suffered the injury at Wake, he'd briefly wondered for a moment if his rookie season might be over.
“I knew it wasn't good,” Pinson said. “By the time I got on the bus at Wake, the only thing in my head was, 'How can I get back out there this year?' I told Doug (Halverson, the UNC athletic trainer) right away, 'If there's a way, I want to do it.'”
So he did. To outside observers, Pinson's primary occupation has been as the world's most enthusiastic suit-wearer and perhaps the most animated “Jump Around” participant since Danny Green. Away from the games, though, he was committed to his rehabilitation, praising Halverson and Jonas Sahratian for their constant assistance with his return.
It finally paid dividends on Tuesday, as Roy Williams considered his bench late in a 25-point ACC rout and suddenly decided he should play them all. First came Pinson. Then came Stilman White (last saw action against UAB on Dec. 27). Here was Luke Davis (hasn't played in a game all season). And finally, why not get a minute for Spenser Dalton (who this time last week was with the Carolina JV squad and happy just to practice with the varsity Tar Heels)?
It's Pinson's return, though, that will get the most attention. First, it enabled him to get out the excess energy that comes with finally getting back in a game. Better to have that out of the way before Saturday night, when every possession is likely to be important.
But in addition to just getting him back into rhythm, Pinson's return is also about adding a piece that might matter in March. He's capable of making multiple contributions that the Tar Heels have needed at times this season. He will bring energy and a constant sense of urgency—remember, it was Pinson who helped spark the second-half comeback against Notre Dame. He's athletic and has the versatility to match up with multiple opponents on the wing. He's pesky, maybe a little annoying, and likes to make a habit of guarding opponents in a way they don't like to be guarded. That's a valuable trait as the Carolina offense has proven in the last two road games to thrive off live ball turnovers; at halftime on Tuesday night, the Tar Heels had 21 points off Georgia Tech turnovers alone, while the Yellow Jackets had 21 points total.
A healthy Pinson will add an element to the defense that might help create a few more of those miscues. But he also knows his return comes with at least one question mark.
“I really don't know,” he said when asked how far his conditioning is from midseason form. A foot injury means his running has been limited and he's spent significant time on a bike. Monday's practice was his first full-speed practice since the injury. “I'm probably not going to know until we go through a real practice,” Pinson said. “But I feel like I'm close, at least.”
What he's lost in physical conditioning Pinson hopes he's made up with savvy. It hasn't all been dancing over there on the sidelines, you know. At one point in the Miami game, as Carolina exited a timeout, Pinson was deep in discussion with assistant coach Steve Robinson. He's tried to pick up some details that might have escaped him otherwise.
“I tried to pick up some little things,” he said. “Things like getting around screens. There are some little things you can do so you don't run into them. Watching that many games from the bench, you see there are so many things you can do more easily if you just get into initial position. That's the biggest thing I've learned: make the game easier whenever you can.”
Well, that, and shoot. Shoot like no one, including the head coach, can stop you. The next time Pinson gets in a game, the stakes are likely to be a little higher. Tuesday, however, there was just one simple goal:
“Tonight,” Pinson said, “I was just worried about having fun.”
