sign a letter to attend the University of Tennessee over Villanova and St. John's, but sources with knowledge of Pinkston's thinking say he reconsidered his decision, discussed it with his family and decided to hold off until the late signing date. Before graduating, Pinkston made his announcement April 14, 2010 to continue his education at Villanova University. Coach Jay Wright was excited to for JayVaughn to be entering his school by saying, "JayVaughn is an incredibly talented young man who has a unique passion for the game. He has been well-coached by Edwin Gonzalez and Kimani Young. He can play multiple positions and has been a leader at Bishop Loughlin for four years. We are thrilled to welcome JayVaughn and his mom, Kerry, into the Villanova Family." College career Redshirt On November 7, 2010, Pinkston punched two students at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house. The Upper Merion Township police arrested and charged Pinkston with two counts of assault and harassment. Villanova University allowed him to finish his coursework for the first semester, but he was banned for the second semester. He could not use practice facilities and had to watch his team play from the bleachers. "That's the first time anything like that had happened to me," he said. "And that's a big one for an 18-year-old kid. I saw my life, everything I had worked for, flash before my eyes. I thought I was done." Jay Wright thought Pinkston was going to transfer, and offered his support if he decided to. Pinkston instead decided to stay with the team, which greatly surprised Wright. Pinkston found lodging with Matt and Christy O'Reilly, whose children went to school with Wright's children. Per NCAA policy, Pinkston had to pay the going rate for renting an apartment in the area. He found work stacking boxes in a nearby warehouse, and the O'Reillys became like a second family to him. Freshman Pinkston made his collegiate debut with nine points and four rebounds in a blowout win against Monmouth. He averaged 9.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in his redshirt freshman season. He scored 12.6 points in Big East conference games and shot 103 free throws in conference, which was a team high. Pinkston was named Big East Rookie of the Week on January 23, 2012 after posting 13 points and 12 rebounds against St. John's. In February he scored in excess of 20