North Carolina basketball player P.J. Hairston was charged with possession of marijuana late Wednesday, Durham police confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday morning.
According to police, Hairston was stopped at an intersection for a license check at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday. He and two other passengers face misdemeanor drug charges. Hairston also was charged with driving without a license.
"Coach Williams and (director of athletics) Bubba Cunningham are aware of a situation that took place last evening with P.J. Hairston," UNC senior associate athletic director for communications Steve Kirschner said in a statement. "We're currently looking into it to gather the facts. We will issue a statement when we have enough information to do so."
Hairston, a 6-5 rising junior, bypassed the NBA to stay at North Carolina for another season after averaging 14.6 points and 4.3 rebounds a game as a sophomore.
"I value the experiences I have had over the past two years in Chapel Hill and hope to continue to grow under Coach Roy's guidance," Hairston said in a statement when he announced his return. "Coach always says when you focus on the team during the season, he will support us in the offseason — this is my way of supporting coach, my teammates and the Tar Heel community. Go Heels!"
On Monday, Hairston was invited to compete for a spot on the 2013 USA Basketball World University Games team. The training camp begins June 24.