UNC Basketball: Nassir Little shines against Virginia Tech Hokies

Nassir Little scores 23 points, shines in prime time against Virginia Tech

North Carolina small forward Nassir Little hasn’t had the kind of freshman season that many thought he’d have, and he hasn’t had a consistent impact on the scoring column the way that most had hoped. He hasn’t started a single game this season the way that UNC fans have been clamoring for, nor has he been logging the kind of minutes that armchair coaches at home have been screaming for.

North Carolina head coach, Roy Williams, has unapologetically brought him off the bench in all 19 games this season, and thwarted claims that he was holding the talented freshman back by not starting him. Meanwhile, he continued to tout Little as the most athletically gifted player he’s ever coached, while giving him considerable minutes off the bench.

To Williams’ credit, the 2006 Hall-of-Fame inductee may have done this a time or two before. And if Little’s performance on Monday night is any indication, Williams’ decision to bring the 5-star freshman off the bench through the season’s first three months is beginning to make a lot of sense.

Little had his best game of the season on Monday night against the 10th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in Chapel Hill.

The sensational forward ranked No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite coming out of high school scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 2-of-3 from three-point range, and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line. He also hauled in six rebounds, three assists and a steal off the UNC bench en route to a 103-82 Tar Heels victory.

And it wasn’t just Little’s point total that impressed spectators on Monday night; it was the way he did it.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound wing was all over the court, on the floor, and soaring through the air for every drive, slash, dunk and loose ball that he could find. He scored from inside and outside the arc, on layups through contact, and with powerful slams in the lane.

Little was phenomenal, to say the least, and his performance gave credence to Williams’ decision to bring him off the bench as he continues to get acclimated to the college game. His play on Monday night also shows just how potent the UNC offense can be when he’s at his best.

And to those of you asking when Little will become a starter for the Tar Heels, well, maybe never. But it worked out well for Marvin Williams, who didn’t start a single game as a freshman at UNC. It worked out pretty well for Ed Davis, who started just two games during his rookie season in Chapel Hill. And Tony Bradley came off the bench in all 38 games of UNC’s national championship season in 2017, and he still got selected in the NBA Draft’s first round.

Whether Little starts for the Tar Heels now, or ever, isn’t going to negatively affect his impact on this team. And by all accounts, things seem to be going according to plan.

Roy Williams’ plan; not yours.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for more on Little and the Tar Heels as the season wages on.