The UNC basketball 2014 recruiting class has already gone down to be one of the best in not only recent memory, but also in the entire program’s history. Not just due to on the court success, but also to what that class meant to the program as the university was going through the NCAA investigation.
The three-man class of Justin Jackson, Joel Berry and Theo Pinson played big roles from their first year all the way through their final season at UNC and helped bring home the 2017 National Championship — after playing big roles on the 2016 National Runner-Up team as well.
But, there is a chance it may not have happened. According to a recent interview with Theo Pinson, he mentioned that former Ohio State star guard D’Angelo Russell almost took Pinson’s spot in that class.
He mentioned how the Tar Heels had one scholarship left and was going to commit before Pinson.
“I don’t know how I found out, but somehow, somebody told me D’Angelo Russell was about to commit to Carolina,” Pinson said. “There was one scholarship left and I knew he was about to take it, and then I was like, ‘you know what, I’m about to do it’.”
In the instagram comments, Russell added ‘lol that’s a fact.’
Russell was the No. 16 overall player in the 2014 recruiting class and the No. 5 shooting guard in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Russell chose Ohio State over Louisville, Michigan State and North Carolina.
The 6-foot-5 guard went on to star with the Buckeyes, averaging 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He was a consensus All-American, and All-Big Ten performer in his lone season with Ohio State.
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