Tar Heels' Hairston to miss Virginia game

P.J. Hairston, the North Carolina freshman guard who has averaged 6.6 points per game, will sit out the Tar Heels’ college basketball game against Virginia on Saturday because of a sore left foot, according to a statement UNC released on Friday.

Hairston played 10 minutes and did not score in UNC’s 85-84 loss against Duke on Wednesday night. Hairston, who is wearing a protective boot on his left foot, will not practice today.

During the early part of the season, Hairston was UNC’s most reliable 3-point shooter. But he has been mired in a shooting slump since the start of ACC play last month. He has made just 6 of his 34 3-point attempts since the start of conference play.

The absence of Hairston makes UNC’s already-thin bench even thinner. Only one other reserve, fellow freshman James Michael McAdoo, is averaging more than five minutes of playing time per game. McAdoo and Hairston have both averaged about 13 minutes of playing time.

Hairston is UNC’s third guard who will miss a game this season because of injury. Dexter Strickland, a junior, started UNC’s first 19 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury in a victory against Virginia Tech on Jan. 19. Junior guard Leslie McDonald, meanwhile, is sitting out the season while he recovers from a knee injury.

-- Andrew Carter