UNC’s P.J. Hairston suspended indefinitely but expected to play in 2013-14

Head coach Roy Williams has been vocal about leaving Hairston’s fate in the hands of the NCAA, which should have a ruling around the Nov. 8 start of the season. This is typical of Williams, who has one of the cleanest records of any successful college coach in recent memory.

Tokoto, who played in a pair of unsanctioned summer league games, will return from his rules violation for the regular-season opener against Oakland.

Hairston was suspended indefinitely in July after a twisting summer of run-ins with the law, but North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in August that Hairston would play at some point during the season, though a timeline was not given.

It’s standard practice for players to continue to practice with teams during suspensions, no matter who suspended the player. In this instance, the suspension came from North Carolina coach Roy Williams instead of all the way down from the NCAA.

Hairston has been in news headlines for all the wrong reasons this summer. He was suspended indefinitely by head coach Roy Williams following his arrest for a misdemeanor marijuana charge that was eventually dropped. He was also arrested for speeding and reckless driving in July. The NCAA is also investigating his involvement with Haydn Thomas, a convicted felon who rented the vehicle Hairston was in at the time of the marijuana arrest.

Hairston’s eligibility likely makes the Tar Heels a top-15 team. North Carolina’s non-conference schedule is loaded, with showdowns against Louisville, Michigan State and Kentucky looming in late November through mid-December. It would seem Hairston would be able to play by then, though coach Williams could elect to send a strong message instead by benching his leading scorer.

Hairston was pulled over Sunday on Interstate 85 outside Webb, N.C. for doing 93 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. The 20-year-old has a court date scheduled in Rowan County for Aug. 30.

Hairston’s suspension is the culmination of a summer chock-full of legal problems. Hairston was arrested on June 5 and charged with possession of marijuana and driving without a license, although those charges were dismissed because he was cooperative with the courts.