PHILADELPHIA — When Theo Pinson finished his high school basketball career, he wasn’t ready to give up the spotlight, so the 6-6 Greensboro native auditioned for the Wesleyan Christian Academy’s spring musical.
Even without much experience on the stage — save for a stint in the middle school chorus singing baritone — Pinson landed a spot as Vlad Vladikoff, the eagle in Seussical the Musical.
Wearing a leather jacket, white feather boa and an old school flying cap, Pinson combined his athletic abilities and show-stealing tendencies to put a three-day exclamation point on his high school years.
“The season was over with so I was like, you know what, I’m bout to do the school play,” Pinson said, sitting in UNC’s locker room ahead of Friday’s Sweet 16 matchup with Indiana (27-7) at the Wells Fargo Center. “So I did the school play dressed up as a bird. I just don’t care. I just like going out there having fun.”
“(I sang) just some random song. I had to jump over somebody. It was cool.”
Coach Roy Williams knew what he was getting when he offered Pinson a scholarship. It took a couple of recruiting trips to convince the 13-year Tar Heel head coach that Pinson deserved a spot on the team, but once Pinson dazzled him at the 2013 Global Games in Washington D.C., Williams never looked back.
“I’m not a guy that calls guys every other night,” Williams said. “But when I had conversations with Theo, they were really good conversations. You can ask him a question and get an answer. I’ve coached a lot of kids that you try to get them to talk when you’re talking on the phone and can’t get them to talk. When you get them in school, you can’t get them to shut up.
“Theo, he’s been that way since I first talked to him. I could ask him a question and then go fix me a grilled cheese sandwich and come back, and he’d still be talking. I’ve really enjoyed the kid. He’s a neat deal.”
To say Pinson, now sophomore at No. 1 seed UNC (30-6), flourishes as the center of attention would be an understatement. He thrives in the role and uses it to fuel his teammates.
Point guard Joel Berry used to hit a celebratory flex in the locker room after games. But with a little encouragement from Pinson, Berry began showing more emotion on the court and even flashed his strongman dance to the Verizon Center crowd after winning the ACC Tournament MVP.
“It was something I always did just around the guys and then with Theo’s personality, sometimes his personality gets you out of your comfort zone,” Berry said. “So he’ll say it, and I can’t just deny him, so that’s when it all started.”
On the court, Pinson says he rarely celebrates when he makes a bucket, but if his pass leads to a teammate’s basket or another teammate hits a 3-pointer, he’s the first to celebrate.
“I get really excited when my teammates score after I pass them the ball,” Pinson said. “I don’t know why, I just really do. It’s not even when I score the ball. When I score the ball, I just run down the court. I get more excited when I pass and they score.”
“I like anytime Justin, Marcus, Joel or Nate when they hit a 3, I like doing the bow and arrow (celebration).”
Pinson is more than a hype man — his energy has been a key factor in UNC’s successful small lineup, implemented more frequently in later in the season. With the lineup, Pinson plays a four man out on the wing, leaving one true big man down low.
“When Theo comes in, I think that helps us hit it because he’s more agile in getting out into the lanes and moving around a little bit faster,” Berry said. “When he gets in, it speeds up the game and gets us flying around and getting us active.”
Brice Johnson, who can make the crowd roar after one of his signature rage dunks, doesn’t consider himself to dictate the emotions of the team. Instead, he leaves that to Pinson.
“I think Theo is more of the emotional leader,” Johnson said. “Theo talks a little more than I do.”
And after talking with the Tar Heels, it’s pretty obvious that Pinson talks more than anyone else on the team.
“Theo’s just a character,” Berry said. “I mean, he’s always talking as you guys can see. You guys are in the locker room. I’m pretty sure all you here is Theo’s voice if you’re in there. It’s something that we love and it just brings that joy to the locker room.
“You always have that one guy, and Theo is that guy. And I think we all love it. Sometimes he might a little bit too much but at the end of the day, it brings joy to us and it gets everyone, it makes the team more connected.”
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