UNC Basketball: Five bold predictions for the 2018-19 season

Nassir Little will be the most productive freshman in the ACC and win ACC Freshman of the Year

While most will predict one of Duke’s three elite freshmen to be the ACC’s best rookie, it will be UNC’s Little earning the award.

Duke’s freshman trio of RJ Barnett, Cam Reddish, and Zion Williamson will be thrown into the fire right away, forced to carry Duke’s scoring load, as the Blue Devils have almost no returning experience.

Little, on the other hand, will have plenty of opportunities to contribute offensively but will also have several other teammates capable of consistently producing on that end of the court, such as Maye, Williams, and Cameron Johnson.

This will relieve him of the scoring pressure that Barrett, Reddish, and Williamson will face, plus Little looks like he might be the best of the group anyways.

The Orange Park, Florida native dominated both the Mcdonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Game, clearly outplaying Duke’s elite freshmen trio, and winning MVP of both events. Little has his priorities straight, too.

In an interview on UNC Basketball’s Instagram story, Little claimed that his main goal for this season was to bring a National Championship to Chapel Hill.

Little’s team mindset and offensive efficiency will be much better than that of his peers in Durham, and he will be named ACC Freshman of the Year.