Former Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell spent just one season with the Buckeyes in his college career, earning Big Ten Rookie of the Year honors as well as a consensus All-American. But the Louisville native almost ended up in Chapel Hill as part of the 2014 recruiting class.
Except, Theo Pinson had something to do with it.
Russell appeared on Pinson’s “Run Your Race” podcast to talk basketball including his high school, college and professional careers. During a segment of the interview, Russell tells a story of how players were committing to programs interested in him and he was set to commit to North Carolina.
However, he ran out of time.
“So Justin [Jackson] and Joel [Berry] and Joel was on my team. So when he was like ‘He’s committing to Carolina,’ I was like. . . Cause we were early, we committed our junior years. I remember there was one more spot and before I committed, I talked to Hubert Davis,” Russell said. “I was a fan, my dad was a fan, I never really got to go on a visit. But they were like, if you don’t commit, Theo is going to commit, man. And there’s nothing we can tell you. You guys are both in that position that we are looking for. As soon as I hung up, I think I saw it the next day. I was like ‘Damn, man.’ But it ended up working out.”
Pinson then revealed that he was told Russell was going to commit, so he made his decision quicky telling his parents he was going to North Carolina.
This isn’t the first time the story has been told as Pinson has said it on his podcast before. But it’s interesting to hear it from Russell’s perspective.
It worked out in the long run as Russell spent one season at Ohio State, averaging 19.3 points per game. Pinson stayed four years and won a national championship with the Tar Heels.
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