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P.J. Hairston: Duke Recruiters 'Can't Even Spell My Name Right'

Pj Hairston Spelling Error

The Huffington Post   First Posted: 05/17/11 02:58 PM ET Updated: 07/17/11 06:12 AM ET

The Duke University Men's basketball program typically gets its choice of the nation's top high school recruits.

But coveted prospect P.J. Hairston -- that's P-J-H-A-I-R-S-T-O-N -- won't be competing for Coach K and company next fall, at least in part because of a little spelling error.

Here's what P.J. had to say about the Blue Devils recruiting process in a recent interview with the Greensboro News & Record:

The thing about Duke was, every time they sent me a letter, they wouldn't spell my name right. They would have 'T.J. Harrison' or something like that. And I'm like, 'OK. How can I go here? You can't even spell my name right.' It's only two letters and HAIR and STON. I'm trying to figure out how that's so hard.

As if that didn't sting enough for Duke fans, instead of riling up the Cameron Crazies, Hairston will take his game to the other end of Tobacco Road. He recently signed a letter of intent to play for Coach Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

To be fair, the 6-foot-4, 216-pound guard-forward combo did have a few other items drawing him to UNC, such as the school's more open offensive system.

"Don't get me wrong. Duke is a great school," Hairston added. "It wasn't just because they couldn't spell my name right why I didn't go there. I don't feel that I'm a Duke-type player, because they have a crazy system. It's like mechanical."

"I realized North Carolina is where I wanted to be."