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Breaking down the play of first-year forward Nassir Little this season

Nassir Little vs Virginia Tech
Forward Nassir Little (5) shoots the ball during the men's basketball game vs. Virginia Tech at the Smith Center on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. The Tar Heels won 103-82.

Nassir Little didn’t think his NBA dreams could come to fruition until two summers ago, when he attended the 2017 Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. 

It was that June, at the invite-only showcase, when NBA scouts looked at him and saw the makings of a future pro. Little caught the eye of many, even among 20 of the other top U.S. high school prospects and 57 of the best U20 players in Europe.

“His goal was just to get a scholarship and go to college,” his father, Harold Little, recalled on Dec. 29. “Then other people, who I think know basketball, started saying things about him potentially being able to be an NBA player.”

Though the realization happened less than two years ago, how he’ll fare at the next level is all media members have seemingly discussed this season when evaluating the first-year forward. Some critics have said his role off the bench for North Carolina and inability to quickly adjust to the college game have hurt the presumed one-and-done’s draft stock.

In 25 games, Little has averaged 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 18.4 minutes per game. He plays the most minutes of any reserve and is the fourth-highest scorer on the team. 

Still, to some, his numbers haven’t quite lived up to the hype. Little was the No. 3 overall recruit in the class of 2018, according to 247 Sports composite ranking, and arrived in Chapel Hill with sky-high expectations. With other highly-touted first-years, like Duke’s Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, starring for their teams, many are quick to make comparisons. 

But even without eye-popping stats, Little is still projected to be a lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward is No. 11 in NBADraft.net’s most recent mock draft. He’ll likely become just one of a few one-and-done Tar Heels in recent memory. 

Head coach Roy Williams has only coached three one-and-done players since he took over UNC’s program in 2003: Marvin Williams in 2005, Brandan Wright in 2007 and Tony Bradley in 2017. 

Little’s route to the league looks more similar to Williams' path. Williams never started a game for the Tar Heels’ 2005 NCAA Championship team. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game before being selected No. 2 overall in that year’s NBA draft.   

Williams also played behind senior forwards. Williams backed up Jawad Williams and Jackie Manuel, just as Little backs up graduate Cameron Johnson and senior Luke Maye. 

Before going down with a right ankle sprain in UNC’s loss to Virginia on Feb. 11, Little had started to look more comfortable. He especially looked like he’d found his groove when he scored a career-high 23 points in the Tar Heels’ win over Virginia Tech last month. 

And though his play hasn’t been as consistent as he’d probably like, Little is patient with himself. 

“You know, it’s a learning curve,” Little admitted after UNC’s win over Davidson on Dec. 29. “It’s a big learning curve, coming into college.” 

No matter what role Little plays in UNC’s last few regular-season games and beyond, his goal remains the same as it was the first time he put on a North Carolina jersey.

“It’s just day-by-day, getting better and getting better for the ultimate prize of winning a National Championship,” Harold Little said. “That’s his goal.” 

@pupadhyaya_

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com

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