The North Carolina men’s basketball team will travel to Bloomington, Indiana to face the nation’s top team on Tuesday, but the Tar Heels will be without shooting guard P.J. Hairston.
Coach Roy Williams said that Hairston sustained a knee injury during practice on Sunday and will likely not practice today or play in the game tomorrow. UNC confirmed Monday night that Hairston did not travel with the team.
“Right now I don’t think he’s going to practice today and if he doesn’t practice today then he’s not going to play tomorrow,” Williams said.
“That takes out part of our opportunities to go small because he’s the only guard who’s worked at the four.”
Senior guard Dexter Strickland, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear last season, said that doctors said Hairston suffered an MCL sprain during a dribbling drill.
“PJ is a little dramatic with his injuries,” Strickland said. “So hopefully he’ll take something to boost his strength or something.
“The way his knee moved, I was kind of scared because I tore my ACL, so I know what it looks like.”
Hairston is the team’s third leading scorer with 10.8 points per game. The sophomore has also shot 35 percent from behind the arc in the first six games of the season.
“With PJ, I give him like two days and he’ll probably be good and be back on the floor running again,” Strickland said.
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