In not so shocking news, UNC freshman Nassir Little has declared for the upcoming NBA Draft. In a statement posted to Twitter, Little thanked the Tar Heel faithful and expressed that playing in the NBA has been his lifelong dream.
#HighlyFavored pic.twitter.com/bsPxxtHAPo
— Nassir Little (@2ez_nassie) April 1, 2019
Little, who came to UNC ranked as the No. 3 overall player in the 2018 class, averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while appearing in all 36 contests for the Heels. Little’s announcement comes after averaging 19.5 points per game in UNC’s two NCAA tournament wins. He suffered from flu-like symptoms ahead of UNC’s loss to Auburn in the Sweet 16 and ended up scoring only 4 points in the 17-point loss. North Carolina’s head coach Roy Williams released the following statement:
“Nassir is just an outstanding young man who has been a pleasure to coach. Playing in the NBA has been a dream of his and everyone on our staff will continue to support his efforts in the months and years to come.”
“He played a big part in our success this year and would have done even greater things late in the year were it not for a couple of injuries he sustained in mid-February. He was really coming along, especially on the defensive end, when he sprained his ankle against Virginia (on February 11).”
“He played fantastic basketball and gave us a huge lift in Columbus in the first two games in the NCAA Tournament. It was unfortunate for Nas and our team that he was sick and far less than 100 percent in the last game. I am excited to watch his development and pro career.”
ESPN currently has Little ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft. Now that Little’s decision has been made, the focus shifts to UNC freshman guard Coby White who many project as a lottery pick in this year’s draft.