5-star prospect Nassir Little has committed to North Carolina
Wednesday evening, 5-star small forward Nassir Little announced his commitment to North Carolina. Little’s final list also included Miami and Arizona, both of which have reportedly been involved with the recent college basketball scandal. This left many with strong expectations that Little would end up in Chapel Hill.
Little was believed to be involved in the scandal himself. He and his family reportedly were in the process of accepting money from Miami. These accusations have been denied, and things have seemingly gotten back to normal for the prospect.
Little is a big, physical wing prospect. Standing at 6-foot-7, 205 pounds and a frame that he is filling out, Little has great size for a modern-day wing. He does not have dynamic explosiveness, but is an overall fantastic athlete. Little possesses a great blend of size, leaping ability, strength, and speed that will serve Roy Williams very well. His strength and long arms will also allow him to play plenty of small-ball power forward for Roy.
Offensively, Little can score in a multitude of ways, but may not be great in any particular way. He shows a great aptitude at using pump fakes and using his quick first step to go around the defender. He can finish at the rim well, whether it’s through contact or simply dunking on the defender. He also possesses a great shot off the dribble, especially in the mid-range. He has shown a very consistent ability to create separation and knock down the mid-range shot off the dribble. He’ll have to improve both on catch-and-shoot and off the dribble, but he has solid mechanics and it is reasonable to expect him to extend his range. Off the ball, he often lulls and does not look to create a positive impact. At times it is easy to forget he is on the court because of it.
Defensively, his long arms allow him to consistently disrupt dribbles and shots. He shows good engagement when on defense and is always looking to make a play. Very often he is in the right positions and his physical gifts make it that much easier for him. Little has the potential to be an elite two-guy wing player.
His development would be very much helped by polishing his offensive game and extending his range. Wing players in today’s game must be able to shoot well. Playing point-forward is not a legitimate option for Little, as his handle is very basic and he has not shown more than a basic playmaking ability. It is imperative that he becomes more impactful working off the ball and getting to his spots. It would also benefit him to work on his rebounding ability. His physical gifts allow him to be a solid rebounder, but he needs to improve his positioning and boxing out to become more effective. This makes him a very valuable small-ball 4 for North Carolina.
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Overall, Nassir Little is a great wing prospect with loads of upside. The athletic gifts paired with his two-way skillset will prove extremely valuable for Roy Williams. He has one-and-done upside if his scoring sees more polish, and could be the best prospect out of Chapel Hill since Harrison Barnes. Once his game sees more polish and off-ball impact, the sky is the limit. Little will be a source of highlight plays for North Carolina, and will likely be a fan-favorite because of it. Tar Heel fans should expect to see an athletic two-way wing that will thrive in Roy Williams’ fast paced system.