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North Carolina Basketball: Nassir Little makes the Tar Heels title contenders once again

By Tristan Freeman

CHAPEL HILL, NC - JANUARY 20: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during their game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Dean Smith Center on January 20, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - JANUARY 20: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during their game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Dean Smith Center on January 20, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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When a bunch of all-stars is on the court, it’s hard for any one player to stand out. But future North Carolina star Nassir Little was able to, showing how dangerous the team will be next year.

The ending of the season of the defending national champions North Carolina was disappointing, failing to get to the Sweet Sixteen despite getting a two seed in a winnable region.

The Tar Heels are also going to lose a couple of great players in graduating seniors Theo Pinson and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Joel Berry. For the season, the duo combined for 28.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, and 8.3 apg while displaying their leadership and experience.

That’s going to be a lot of production to be replaced, but Roy Williams team is certainly capable. All-ACC star Luke Maye is coming back, as well as starters Cam Johnson and Kenny Williams. The youngsters on the bench weren’t ready to play many minutes this season but should play a bigger role in 2018-19.

But the returning players lack that explosiveness to be able to take over games, particularly against what rival Duke was bringing in. The Tar Heels needed to match that to stand a chance.

Enter Nassir Little.

Ranked by 247sports as the No. 6 player in the 2018 class, the 6’7 forward can play and guard multiple positions. He’s an athletic freak that can score in high volumes.

Little had a chance to display his talents on a national stage, with the 2018 High School McDonald’s All-American game. Normally, all the players share in the numbers and highlights, but the future Tar Heel stole the show with some moves of his own.

https://twitter.com/overtime/status/979160486536273920

Little finished with 28 points, three shy of the record for this exhibition game. His effort also surpassed his peers in the game, which has to be awesome from a coaching perspective.

As far as how he fits with North Carolina next season, Little should slide in at the power forward. That allows Johnson to play at the wing position, his more natural spot. With the incoming freshman alongside Maye, it gives the Tar Heels one of the best frontcourts in the country. Similar to what they had in their title run a couple of seasons ago.

Next: 10 best transfers from the 2017-18 season

It’s early, and games like this should be taken with a little grain of salt. But Tar Heel fans should be incredibly excited, and ACC teams should be nervous once again, about what Little and North Carolina can accomplish next season.

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