University of North Carolina Athletics
Nassir Little celebrates with Sterling Manley
Photo by: Rebecca Lawson
GoHeels Exclusive: Physicality And Athleticism
November 21, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
Since arriving in Chapel Hill, Nassir Little has often told his North Carolina teammates that if the ball is thrown to him in the air, he'll get it. It doesn't matter how high the pass might be.
Until Monday, though, no player had tested Little's theory in a game as much as Kenny Williams did midway through the first half.
Seventh Woods initiated the play, diving on the floor for a loose ball. He passed it to Leaky Black, who then fired it to Williams near the 3-point line on the opposite end of the floor. Williams immediately saw Little streaking down the left side. So he lobbed him the ball. But Williams didn't believe Little had any chance of snagging it, at least at first.
"I definitely thought I threw it too high," Williams said.
It probably was for anyone else. But not for Little, who soared into the air, grabbed the ball with both hands and completed the alley-oop. It appeared almost effortless. In Little's mind, it was.
"I thought it was kind of low," said Little of Williams' pass. "I didn't even feel like I had to stretch. That was just a regular lob. … That dunk wasn't amazing to me. In all honestly, I thought that was a regular play."
That "regular play" proved to be the highlight of UNC's 101-76 win over Saint Francis, the Tar Heels' final opponent before the Las Vegas Invitational. But it wasn't the most significant development regarding Little.
After playing predominantly at the small forward position, also known as the three, in Carolina's first four games, Little saw his first action at power forward, the four, on Monday. He made the most of the opportunity, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He also had seven rebounds.
Roy Williams said before the season that Little, 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, was learning the wing spots. He'd learn the four with time. But that time has arrived, perhaps earlier than predicted.
"He's really active, I like that," Roy Williams said. "He's in a tough situation right now. We are trying to teach him the four spot a little bit. For a freshman to go in and play more than one position, going across the line – two/three is one player and four/five is another player. So if you have to go across the line, it's difficult.
"Leaky's having to do the same thing, so that's difficult for them. But I think he's getting better."
That showed against the Red Flash, especially in the second half.
With UNC starting to pull away from Saint Francis midway through the half, Little subbed in for Cameron Johnson at the four spot. Little subsequently recorded 10 points and four rebounds in less than a five-minute span. Six of those points came on back-to-back three-point plays.
The Red Flash couldn't handle Little's physicality and athleticism. And he knows those traits could help him thrive, either on the wing or at the four once he's more comfortable there.
"It's been a process trying to learn things," Little said. "(Coach Williams) wasn't trying to overload me with too much at first. But now that I've got the two and three down, he's going to move me to the four. And I think that makes me dangerous. Against a smaller team like that, me playing the four is a huge mismatch inside.
"When I came in in the second half playing the four, they just didn't have an answer."
Through Carolina's first five games of the season, Little has scored 65 points. Those are the most by a UNC freshman in their team's first five games since Brandan Wright opened the 2006-07 campaign with 83.
Much of Little's success, though, has come against teams the Tar Heels are more gifted and talented than, as Roy Williams would say. The next three games – two in Las Vegas against Texas and either Michigan State or UCLA, followed by one at Michigan – will be more telling about where Little's game is at. And he's ready for the challenge.
"This is what I came to UNC for, to play at this high level of basketball," Little said. "I'm excited to see how I match up and how I perform against other top-level guys."
Since arriving in Chapel Hill, Nassir Little has often told his North Carolina teammates that if the ball is thrown to him in the air, he'll get it. It doesn't matter how high the pass might be.
Until Monday, though, no player had tested Little's theory in a game as much as Kenny Williams did midway through the first half.
Seventh Woods initiated the play, diving on the floor for a loose ball. He passed it to Leaky Black, who then fired it to Williams near the 3-point line on the opposite end of the floor. Williams immediately saw Little streaking down the left side. So he lobbed him the ball. But Williams didn't believe Little had any chance of snagging it, at least at first.
"I definitely thought I threw it too high," Williams said.
It probably was for anyone else. But not for Little, who soared into the air, grabbed the ball with both hands and completed the alley-oop. It appeared almost effortless. In Little's mind, it was.
"I thought it was kind of low," said Little of Williams' pass. "I didn't even feel like I had to stretch. That was just a regular lob. … That dunk wasn't amazing to me. In all honestly, I thought that was a regular play."
That "regular play" proved to be the highlight of UNC's 101-76 win over Saint Francis, the Tar Heels' final opponent before the Las Vegas Invitational. But it wasn't the most significant development regarding Little.
After playing predominantly at the small forward position, also known as the three, in Carolina's first four games, Little saw his first action at power forward, the four, on Monday. He made the most of the opportunity, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He also had seven rebounds.
Roy Williams said before the season that Little, 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, was learning the wing spots. He'd learn the four with time. But that time has arrived, perhaps earlier than predicted.
"He's really active, I like that," Roy Williams said. "He's in a tough situation right now. We are trying to teach him the four spot a little bit. For a freshman to go in and play more than one position, going across the line – two/three is one player and four/five is another player. So if you have to go across the line, it's difficult.
"Leaky's having to do the same thing, so that's difficult for them. But I think he's getting better."
That showed against the Red Flash, especially in the second half.
With UNC starting to pull away from Saint Francis midway through the half, Little subbed in for Cameron Johnson at the four spot. Little subsequently recorded 10 points and four rebounds in less than a five-minute span. Six of those points came on back-to-back three-point plays.
The Red Flash couldn't handle Little's physicality and athleticism. And he knows those traits could help him thrive, either on the wing or at the four once he's more comfortable there.
"It's been a process trying to learn things," Little said. "(Coach Williams) wasn't trying to overload me with too much at first. But now that I've got the two and three down, he's going to move me to the four. And I think that makes me dangerous. Against a smaller team like that, me playing the four is a huge mismatch inside.
"When I came in in the second half playing the four, they just didn't have an answer."
Through Carolina's first five games of the season, Little has scored 65 points. Those are the most by a UNC freshman in their team's first five games since Brandan Wright opened the 2006-07 campaign with 83.
Much of Little's success, though, has come against teams the Tar Heels are more gifted and talented than, as Roy Williams would say. The next three games – two in Las Vegas against Texas and either Michigan State or UCLA, followed by one at Michigan – will be more telling about where Little's game is at. And he's ready for the challenge.
"This is what I came to UNC for, to play at this high level of basketball," Little said. "I'm excited to see how I match up and how I perform against other top-level guys."
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