UNC Basketball Notebook: Freshmen lead the way in Tar Heels’ win over Hokies

We take a look at UNC’s freshman class and how they helped pave the way to a victory over Virginia Tech on Monday night

Throughout the season we have seen glimpses of what this North Carolina Tar Heels team can be, both good and bad.

But on Monday night against No. 10 Virginia Tech, we saw a side of this team that should have fans excited for the future.

Virginia Tech came out shooting hot from the three-point line making six of their first seven attempts to grab an early lead. it looked like it was going to be one of those nights for the Tar Heels where they would struggle to guard the perimeter and fall behind to an opponent.

That may have been the case for the first 10 minutes or so of the game but after that, it was all Tar Heels.

Trailing 29-25 with 5:17 left in the first half, UNC went on a 20-0 run to grab a 45-29 lead and never looked back. The run was huge for the Tar Heels and really got the Dean Dome rocking but it was the three key players that really sparked the rally that should be pointed out.

UNC’s freshmen trio of Nassir Little, Coby White, and Rechon Black scored 14 of the Tar Heels 20 points in that run, helping them gain control of the game.

White had 9 of those points in that rally, all coming on three-pointers as he caught fire from the field. The point guard finished the game with 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including making 5 of 11 from the three-point line. His energy really helped spark the Tar Heels offense and it was a very impressive showing from the North Carolina native.

While White did the majority of the damage scoring-wise on that run, Little’s play shouldn’t go unnoticed either.

He had 2 rebounds, 2 points and was fantastic on the defensive end of the floor. It’s clear that he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now which bodes well for UNC’s future. Little was playing with a different energy on Monday night, suggesting that he’s finally turned the corner.

There were a few times that Little really stepped up on the defensive end, diving for loose balls and tightening up on the man he was guarding.

Then there was Black.

The freshman hasn’t started a game yet this year or had a major impact but on Monday night, he played his best game to date.

Black drained a three-pointer and also had a fantastic pass on the baseline that led to one of White’s three-pointers in the run. The 6-foot-7 guard only played 7 minutes and finished with 3 points but the Tar Heels were very effective when he was on the court.

Don’t believe me? Check out this stat from Adrian Atkinson who does a great job with the Secondary Break on all things UNC Basketball:

Black is very similar to Theo Pinson where he can play multiple positions on the floor, giving Roy Williams a lot of options.

While he may not be stuffing the stat sheet as of yet, he projects to be a very good four-year player that will get better over time. Just like Pinson did.

This freshmen class could have two one-and-done players in White and Little but right now they are playing some of their best basketball of the season. It’s coming at the right time for UNC as they are 5-1 early in ACC play but the schedule gets a little tougher.

As we continue on and the games get more important, this class should continue to play better and learn along the way. Just take a look at how well they have played while on the court together:

The Tar Heels have put themselves in a position to at least have a shot at winning the ACC and at very least earn a double-bye.

Now let’s see how the freshmen respond after their big performance against Virginia Tech.

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