From staff and wire reports

Weather concerns led to the  the postponement of several basketball games scheduled for Friday.

The South Rowan at East Rowan and Salisbury at East Davidson  contests were pushed back to Wednesday of next week.

The Hickory Ridge at West Rowan games were rescheduled for Feb. 1.

NFL

Former Catawba Indian L.J. McCray has been announced as a future signing by the Carolina Panthers.

McCray who played at Charlotte’s Harding High, is a  a former undrafted rookie free agent. He played  in 2014 and 2015    with the San Francisco 49ers but was not active in 2016.

With the 49ers, McCray  played in 22 games and recorded 14 tackles, mostly on special teams.

McCray’s 2015 season was cut short by a knee injury. He was coached that year by current Carolina special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey.

College football

Western Michigan’s Keion Adams (Salisbury) will play in the sixth annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl   on January 21.

Women’s hoops

Meg Pritchard scored 25 points and had nine rebounds to lead Pfeiffer’s women’s basketball team to its first Conference Carolinas win on Friday.

Bethany Sarson scored 11 for the Falcons (3-5, 1-3 CC) while Ariana Tillman had 10.

Lees-McRae fell to 1-10, 1-4.

UNC’s Pinson is back

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.   — North Carolina swingman Theo Pinson is finally set to make his season debut after October foot surgery.

Coach Roy Williams said Friday he expects to play the junior in the 14th-ranked Tar Heels’ game with rival North Carolina State on Saturday night. Pinson’s return would be a major addition for the Tar Heels (13-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) since he is possibly the team’s top perimeter defender and a good passer, while his versatility was a significant factor in UNC’s run to last year’s ACC championship and the NCAA title game.

The 6-foot-6 Pinson had surgery Oct. 26 to repair a fracture in his right foot suffered during preseason practices. He was expected to miss 8-12 weeks after the surgery, and Wednesday marked 10 weeks since the procedure.

Williams said Pinson has been cleared for full practices for about a week and he’s been doing at least limited practice work such as halfcourt drills for two weeks. He wouldn’t commit to any specific role or minutes for Pinson.

“Right now,” Williams said Friday, “unless he screws it up at practice today, I’ll play him” on Saturday.

Point guard Joel Berry II said Pinson is “trying to get his wind back” after missing so much practice work and having to rely on an exercise bike for conditioning during parts of his recovery.

“I think it’s going to take a little bit for him to be able to get back in the flow of things — what we’re doing now, getting in synch with everyone else,” Berry said. “But that’s expected being out so long.”

Pinson didn’t speak to reporters officially, though he did make a cameo during Williams’ regularly scheduled news conference

“He’s always in the media doing crazy stuff,” Berry said.