Police arrested UNC basketball recruit JamesOn Curry at Eastern Alamance High School on Wednesday and charged him with six drug-related felonies.
Curry was charged with two counts of possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, two counts of sale and delivery of marijuana and two counts of sale, possession and delivery of a controlled substance on school grounds, said Randy Jones, spokesman for the Alamance County Sheriff's Office.
"It's very surprising," said UNC coach Roy Williams. "I'm just learning everything about it, just like you guys are."
The Eastern Alamance senior, who became the state's all-time leading scorer in December, was one of 49 individuals, including three juveniles, arrested in a coordinated operation at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"We had each of the individuals we had warrants for called to a particular office area (of the school), and we had deputies staged nearby," Jones said.
The students' parents were immediately summoned to make arrangements with a magistrate.
"He's got to look at the big picture," said UNC wingman Rashad McCants. "He's got a scholarship to North Carolina. Everybody's watching. He can't do anything that's going to jeopardize that."
Curry, a point guard who was recruited by former coach Matt Doherty, led the state in scoring as a sophomore and broke the 1,000-point mark in just 41 high school games.
He scored 47 points in his team's 93-72 win against Graham High School on Tuesday.
"He doesn't play for me," Williams said.
"He's not here. If there needs to be a decision made at some time, I'll make that decision, and if I do, he and his family will know about it first, whatever that decision may be. And if I don't need to make a decision, I won't make a decision."
Curry was released to his parents on $40,000 bail and will make his first appearance in court this morning, Jones said.
The next step in the process will be an indictment before a grand jury. The time frame for that process is unknown.
"I'm with him, I'm praying for him, thinking about him," said UNC center Sean May. "I hope it's not true, what happened. Hopefully, he'll get through this."
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