Continued Contributions from Coby White and Nassir Little
The two headliners of North Carolina’s recruiting class, five-star freshmen Coby White and Nassir Little have given UNC every bit of what they had expected out of them.
Little, a consensus top-five NBA draft prospect, is averaging 11.5 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game. While the numbers aren’t as sizable as they could be, Little is performing exactly as needed.
Meanwhile, White, an under-the-radar freshman, has put up even better numbers in his first campaign, averaging 15.2 points per game and four assists per game. The point guard has made the loss of Joel Berry almost nonexistent.
While both Little and White have been playing extremely well, now is not the time for the pair to slow down. The ACC is packed with superstar freshmen (cough cough Duke), and UNC will need their own guys to step it up if they want a chance to compete in the ACC in 2019.
Furthermore, while Little is likely a one-and-done prospect, White very well could stick around for at least one more season. Having White stay for his sophomore season would be huge for North Carolina, who will be losing Luke Maye and Kenny Williams, a pair of seniors, who are also two of the Tar Heels best shooters.
Regardless of what happens after the season, the pair of highly-touted prospects needs to continue to perform at their highest levels possible now. UNC has a serious chance to make a final four run, but it almost certainly won’t be possible unless White and Little are at the helm.