ESPN news: PJ Hall finally break silence about coming to North Carolina…..
The former star player for Clemson was quite clear that he had no desire to play basketball for UNC.
By the close of the 2023–2024 college basketball season, there were reports circulating about possible transfers that the UNC basketball team might be considering.
A major rumor involved Clemson’s PJ Hall, a well-known big guy that Tar Heels supporters are familiar with from his matches with Armando Bacot. Bacot’s eligibility was set to expire, therefore if Hall choose to use his final year of NCAA eligibility, he was bound to the UNC basketball team.
Despite persistent speculations, Hall hired an agent and declared for the NBA Draft, so nothing came of it. In an interview with reporters at the NBA Draft Combine, Hall expressed his desire to dispel those rumors.
Regarding closing the door (playing one more season in college), there was an odd rumor that I was attending UNC. I wanted to be clear that there was never any chance of it happening. It was never going to take place.
It’s understandable that Hall seized the chance to demonstrate his commitment to Clemson—he was only correcting the record, after all. Now that he’s officially focused on the NBA, Hall can make comments like that, as he has no desire to return to the college level.
But let’s call a little bit of Hall’s bluff here. Do you really think Hall wouldn’t be enticed to play his last season of college ball with a team that would contend for a national championship if he went through the transfer portal and Hubert Davis called him?
My friend, never say never.
This is another rumor that can now be formally denied in this new realm of the wild, wild, transfer portal.
According to what he said, PJ Hall had no interest in playing basketball for UNC.
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Harrison Ingram of UNC backs down from Bronny James and draws one in an NBA Draft scrimmage.
LeBron James’ kid was welcomed to the league by the former Tar Heels standout.
Harrison Ingram, a former forward for North Carolina, has impressed during the NBA Draft Combine. He garnered attention on social media after he defended former USC guard Bronny James and made a difficult fadeaway during Wednesday’s scrimmage. As soon as Ingram was called for a foul on the play, LeBron James’ son turned to the referee to challenge the call.
After 25 minutes of play, Ingram concluded the second scrimmage with five points (2-of-9 FGs), six rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and a steal. With 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field, James led his squad. During Tuesday’s first scrimmage, Ingram played just under 20 minutes and finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.
He made 4 of 7 field goals and 3 of 5 three-pointers. In the opening game, James finished with four points and four rebounds.
This offseason, Ingram’s draft stock has changed a lot. According to the most recent NBA.com mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman has the UNC product selected in the first round by the New York Knicks at pick No. 25 overall.
“Ingram could go in the first round to a team that sees an easy fit with shooting and passing skills for a connector,” Wasserman stated. “Then again, he could also find himself still on the board in the 30s or 40s if teams are concerned about his weight, athleticism and the validity of this year’s 38.5 3-point percentage, considering he struggled through two seasons at Stanford and hasn’t broken 67% from the free-throw line.”
Although James isn’t chosen in Wasserman’s mock draft, according to 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein, all the signs point to him joining his father as an undrafted player on the Los Angeles Lakers. In his lone season at USC, James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He made 26.7% of his 3-pointers and 36.6% of his field goals.
During this season with the Tar Heels, Ingram averaged 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals a game. With 10.9 rebounds per game in 20 league games, he led the ACC in conference play and was named to the Third Team All-ACC. This season, Ingram scored 20 points or more five times. He defeated NC State at home with a season-high 22 points. In the Wolfpack game, he pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds on the road.
During a Tuesday interview at the NBA Draft Combine, Ingram refuted any suggestion that he would return to North Carolina.
Regarding the NBA Draft, Ingram declared, “I’m all in,” as reported by Isaac Trotter of 247Sports. It’s open, of course, but more so in the event that I am hurt. Make a tapping sound on the wood. I’m not ruling anything out. It’s not necessary to close it. I was always taught by my parents not to wait until the last minute to make decisions. I’m staying in, but I’m trying to be wise and keep it open.”
