Nets March Madness: Theo Pinson helps UNC push past Notre Dame

On March 27, 2016, now Brooklyn Nets guard Theo Pinson helped his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, reach the Final Four.

While there’s still hope for the NBA to crown a 2020 champion, the same cannot be said for college basketball. When professional sports organizations put their seasons on hold in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, the NCAA canceled all winter tournaments — including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

Since there won’t be any bracket busting or Cinderella stories this year, Nets Wire will try to help fans get their March Madness fix by looking back at performances and runs that featured current Brooklyn Nets players:

March 27, 2016

After No. 1 UNC beat No. 5 Indiana by 15 in 2016’s Sweet 16, the Tarheels had to face No. 6 Notre Dame.

Different team, almost the same exact end result for North Carolina. Though, the Fighting Irish put forth a good effort in the second half, but future Brooklyn Nets guard Theo Pinson made sure to help put a stop to that.

When Notre Dame took a 52-51 lead after trailing 51-40, Pinson’s teammate Marcus Paige took back the lead to give the Tarheels a 53-52 advantage.

On the Fighting Irish’s next possession, Pinson stole the ball. The Tarheels would score on the next possession after a timeout.

In addition to his steal, Pinson scored six points, grabbed two offensive rebounds and had an assist in UNC’s final stretch, en route to an 88-74 Elite Eight win (full box score).