Hairston will add depth for Heels

CHAPEL HILL -- This much we already know about P.J. Hairston:

He's one of the best shooters in the class of 2011, a 6-foot-5 wing from Greensboro with excellent range.

His improvement in other phases of the game makes him versatile enough to be an important player in the future of a North Carolina basketball team that struggled to score from 3-point range last season.

But how big Hairston's role will be as a freshman depends largely on Harrison Barnes, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2010. As freshmen next season, Barnes and Reggie Bullock, Hairston's former CP3 All-Stars club teammate, are expected to provide an immediate upgrade in North Carolina's play on the wing.

Barnes is so talented, though, that he might have a chance to enter the NBA Draft and be a high pick after just one season the way top North Carolina recruits Marvin Williams and Brandan Wright have in recent years.

If Barnes plays a second season for the Tar Heels, Hairston's minutes might be modest when he's a freshman. If Barnes leaves for the 2011 draft, though, Hairston gives the Tar Heels an excellent insurance policy as the No. 27 player in his class according to Scout.com.

"He just gives them great depth in the event that Harrison Barnes is so good he's not around another year," said All-Star Sports recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons. "It would be great to have another scorer like Hairston ready to step into his position."

Hairston, who is committed to the Tar Heels, played Friday night in CP3's blowout win over the Coastal Crew Rebels at the Smith Center, the arena he will call home beginning in the 2011-12 season.

He's playing in the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, an event that brings top college prospects on club teams to gyms throughout the Triangle and continues through Sunday. Hairston said Friday night that he is transferring from Greensboro's Dudley High to Hargrave Military Academy for his senior year to benefit from the strict discipline he will experience.

"It's to get more discipline," Hairston said. "It has nothing to do with grades. I know that's probably the rumor or what everybody is hearing, but it has nothing to do with grades. I'm not a bad kid. It's just to get me more discipline, more ready for college."

Hairston's game has changed significantly from a year ago, when he played a supporting role for CP3 and Kinston wing Bullock was the leader of the team.

CP3 coach Tony Edwards sees it most clearly in Hairston's trips to the free throw line, which he estimates at about four or five per game.

Gibbons, who calls Hairston a potential McDonald's All-American, is impressed with his shooting ability.

"I think he's an even better shooter than Reggie Bullock was at the same age," Gibbons said. "... I would put [Hairston] a notch above him."

Some of the other areas of the game haven't come as naturally for Hairston, though, as they did for Bullock, who's 6-7 with excellent poise and the ability to make his teammates better.

Hairston's ball-handling has improved, and he's asserting himself on the boards. He carries about 215 pounds on his wide-shouldered frame, so he is strong enough to bang inside with taller players.

"He does a lot for us rebounding," Edwards said. "People underestimate how he hits the boards."

Some day he will be given a chance to prove he can do a lot for North Carolina, too. How much he plays immediately probably will depend on Barnes, but Hairston could be a large part of the solution as the Tar Heels seek improvement in their wing play.