Rasheed Wallace (right) told P.J. Hairston (left) to be aggressive on Tuesday night during the Greater N.C. Pro-Am. PHOTO: Robert Willett

DURHAM — There were moments during his freshman season at North Carolina when P.J. Hairston proved to be a dangerous 3-point shooter. He made 14 3-pointers in UNC’s first six games, and 3 of his 4 attempts from behind the 3-point line against Kentucky in that early-December classic in Lexington.

But Hairston also went through miserable shooting slumps when his ability to make the outside shot seemingly disappeared. During a 12-game stretch from Jan. 31 through March 10 (Hairston missed one of those games due to injury), Hairston made just three 3-pointers. 

Former North Carolina forward John Henson (right) was the third North Carolina player selected in the NBA draft on Thursday night. Henson went at No. 14 to Milwaukee while Tyler Zeller (left) was selected three picks later. PHOTO: Robert Willett

NEWARK, N.J. — If he was still available by pick No. 14 in the NBA draft, John Henson said he knew the Milwaukee Bucks would select him there. Henson was right.

The Bucks took Henson, the former North Carolina forward, with the 14th pick in the draft. Henson became the third Tar Heels player to be selected on Thursday night, behind Harrison Barnes (No. 7 to Golden State) and Kendall Marshall (No. 13 to Phoenix).

Here’s what Henson had to say after being drafted: 

The Golden State Warriors selected Harrison Barnes seventh overall on Thursday night in the NBA draft. PHOTO: Chuck Liddy

NEWARK, N.J. — Harrison Barnes had to wait a little while. But the moment he’d been waiting for came on Thursday night when the Golden State Warriors selected him with the seventh pick in the NBA draft.

To find a North Carolina player drafted higher than Barnes, you’d have to go back to 2005, when Marvin Williams went second overall and Raymond Felton fifth. Here’s what Barnes had to say after he was drafted:

Tyler Zeller (left) and John Henson (right) will join Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall in the first round of the NBA draft tonight. The only questino is where the Tar Heels foursome will be selected. PHOTO: Robert Willett

NEWARK, N.J. — Welcome to the NBA draft. It’ll start in just about an hour or so. Then, of course, we’ll learn where North Carolina prospects Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall and Tyler Zeller will be selected.

Will the foursome replicate – or even beat – the Tar Heels’ 2005 draft class? Four UNC players that year – Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams – were selected among the top 14 picks. There’s a chance that the current group of Tar Heels matches that feat. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out the story I wrote that ran today about how UNC’s players are embracing their new beginning. Without the enormous expectations that surrounded them throughout last season at UNC, the three players here – Barnes, Henson and Zeller – seem more relaxed. The pressure is off.

And after you’re checking that out, here’s some bonus material: Barnes, Henson and Zeller on a variety of topics as they embark on the start of their professional careers …

Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall and Tyler Zeller (not pictured) are all expected to be first-round picks in the NBA draft. But where? PHOTO: Robert Willett

NEW YORK — Welcome to New York. I’m coming at you live from the Westin in Times Square where, in less than hour, we’ll begin hearing from the 14 players who were invited to attend the NBA draft. Among them: North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller, all of whom are projected to be draft lottery picks.

Kendall Marshall, by the way, is not here. Though no one would be surprised if he wound up being a lottery pick as well when the draft commences on Thursday night at 7:30.

Between now and the start of the draft, there’s likely to be a good amount of speculation, rumors and guesses about which players is headed where. Outside of Anthony Davis, the former Kentucky freshman who’s a lock to be the No. 1 pick, this draft appears as wide open as any in recent memory.

UNC sophomore James Michael McAdoo will team up with Sean May and Marvin Williams in the Greater N.C. Pro-Am at N.C. Central. PHOTO: Ethan Hyman

At long last, the rosters are up. Originally scheduled to be posted late last week, the teams in the Greater N.C. Pro-Am have been set. Six current North Carolina players – and eight former Tar Heels – are among the eight teams in the pro-am, which begins play later this week at N.C. Central.

Here’s a look at North Carolina players, by the team:

Kendall Marshall is still recovering from the fractured elbow that he suffered when he broke his right wrist in March. PHOTO: Chuck Liddy 

Good story here on Kendall Marshall from Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, who is in Chicago covering the NBA’s pre-draft combine. Marshall, the former North Carolina point guard, spoke on Thursday about a variety of topics – including his decision to leave school after two years and the condition of his elbow.

Marshall’s broken right wrist received plenty of attention back in March, when he suffered the injury in the Tar Heels’ third-round NCAA tournament victory against Creighton. The wrist injury, as it turned out, ended Marshall’s collegiate career (well, that and his decision to leave).

What people didn’t know, though, is that Marshall had also endured a small fracture in his elbow. The injury affects him, in part because the elbow fracture went undiagnosed for so long. The elbow injury did not require surgery but the problem was that it was left untreated for several weeks.

Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall are all projected (along with Tyler Zeller, not pictured) to be top-15 picks in the NBA draft. PHOTO: Robert Willett

The NBA draft order was announced last night and we know at least two things as a result: For one, the Charlotte Bobcats are suffering from some bad juju. First they suffer through one of the worst seasons in the NBA history, and then they lose out on the No. 1 pick. Second, and more important, we know it’s now officially NBA mock draft season.

That means, of course, that we know now where some people think other people will be drafted. A quick Google search for “NBA mock draft” turns up no shortage of results. Here are five of them:

DraftExpress
HoopsHype.com
NBADraft.net
SBNation
Sporting News

And here’s a look at where North Carolina’s players – Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall and Tyler Zeller – are projected to be selected. At least according to the aforementioned mock drafts.

Kendall Marshall is still recovering from the broken right wrist he suffered during the Tar Heels' NCAA tournament run in March. PHOTO: Chuck Liddy

Former North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall is training for the NBA draft at the IMG Basketball Academy in Florida, and he has some good news: He has nearly fully recovered from the broken wrist he suffered during the Tar Heels’ victory against Creighton in the NCAA tournament.

In an interview posted on the academy’s website earlier today, Marshall said, “My wrist is almost 100 percent.”

And then came this revelation: “What people didn’t know is that I also fractured my elbow. That’s been the toughest thing for me to deal with, still not being able to go full contact. Hopefully, I’ll be ready to go by the [NBA scouting] combine.”

You can read the full interview right here on the IMG site.

Hubert Davis, seen here (center) in 2006 at his annual basketball camp at the Smith Center, is the latest addition to UNC's coaching staff. PHOTO: N&O file --Leslie Barbour

CHAPEL HILL — In case you missed it, I wrote a story about Hubert Davis, North Carolina’s newest assistant basketball coach, that ran on Sunday. You can check that out right here.

Davis and I spoke for a bit late last week about a variety of topics: His decision to leave ESPN to join to the Tar Heels’ coaching staff, how the opportunity came to be in the first place, what he anticipates his role being with UNC and what he learned from Dean Smith, whom Davis played for in the late 1980s and early 90s.

Here’s the interview with Davis: