The NCAA has opened an investigation into the relationship between North Carolina shooting guard PJ Hairston and NBA agent Rodney Blackstock, according to a report from USA Today’s Big Lead Sports.
Team spokesman Steve Kirschner said that the athletic department doesn’t comment on the actions of the NCAA.
“We don’t comment on compliance issues and reported actions of the NCAA,” Kirschner said.
Blackstock was most recently in the spotlight for his relationship with Kansas guard Ben McLemore. The former Kansas standout admitted that Blackstock acted as a middleman between McLemore and agents and financial advisors. In a May 4 report by USA Today, McLemore’s AAU coach Darius Cobb said he took two payments of $5,000 from Blackstock to sway McLemore’s college decision.
UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham told the Raleigh News and Observer that he was aware of the situation and Blackstock’s relationship with McLemore.
“We’ve been aware of the McLemore-Blackstock case since May 4,” Cunningham told the News and Observer. “And we’ve been doing research and finding as much information about that situation as we can to ensure that we don’t have any issues associated with that.”
Like Hairston, Blackstock lives in Greensboro. He played basketball at Howard, UNC-Greensboro and Greensboro College nearly 10 years ago. Blackstock is also the founder and CEO of Hooplife Academy, a Greensboro-based sports mentoring organization.
Hairston, the team’s leading scorer last season, was stopped at a Durham license check point on June 5 and was subsequently arrested for driving without a license and possession of 42.5 grams of marijuana. There was also a gun found outside the rented 2013 Yukon. Forensics are being performed on the recovered weapon, and no results have been released.
Hairston will be in Colorado Springs beginning Monday for World University Games training camp.
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