As Thursday’s NBA Draft approaches quickly, UNC head coach Roy Williams met with the media on Tuesday to discuss the current state of his program–including prospects set to begin their NBA careers and what the future holds for the Tar Heels.

One major note that Williams touched on was the belief among fans in the past that he had a penchant for holding star freshmen back in order to prolong their careers in Chapel Hill.

With Nassir Litte and Coby White each projected to go in the first round on Thursday, however, this year will represent the first time in 17 seasons at UNC that Williams will have two “one-and-done” prospects selected in the NBA Draft.

Although Little was locked in on entering the draft after only one year after arriving on campus as one of the top recruits in the country, White played so well as a freshman (16.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game) that he will likely be the first Tar Heel selected in the draft.

Coby White electrified Tar Heel fans all season long with his ability to score the ball and get the team playing at the extremely fast pace that Williams has always wanted from his point guards. (Todd Melet)

Both players have earned their status as potential lottery picks, but there were many who criticized Williams for not starting Little during the season–instead using him as the sixth man off the bench as he adjusted to the speed and physicality of the college game.

Over the course of UNC’s 36 games, Little averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and scored at least 20 points on three separate occasions. He struggled to space the floor at times, however, in comparison with the rest of the Tar Heel starters with just a 27 percent success rate from three-point range.

“Yeah, I want to hold a guy back so I can lose,” Williams told reporters on Tuesday, his voice clearly displaying a sarcastic tone. “That really makes a lot of freaking sense.”

In reference to former stars like Tyler Hansbrough and Tyler Zeller–who each played four years in college, but could have went pro at any time during their college career–Williams said that, “The perception that everyone else got is that I put handcuffs on them.”

The Hall-of-Fame coach would later go on to say, “And the other thing is that if I am holding Nassir back then why am I not holding Coby back? So really it boils down to that people are going to say what they want to say. I am very comfortable with the way we coach.”

White missed one game due to injury during the season, but started each of the 35 that he did play in. During that time, he flashed a preternatural ability to score the ball and push the pace of the game in a way no Tar Heel point guard has been able to do since Ty Lawson did nearly a full decade ago.

Because of what he displayed on the floor, the idea that White could leave alongside Little after one year began to become more of a realistic possibility.

Still, though, he chose to meet with Williams before making any kind of final decision.

Nassir Little’s athleticism and raw potential made him a near-lock to leave college after just one season. (Todd Melet)

“I told him it was very easy for me,” Williams said. “That he was going to be a [first round] draft choice very easily. He was ready for it. Could he become more ready if he stayed? Yeah, but why?

“I thought it would be the right thing for him to do,” the coach continued. “I gave him my blessing and I think he was pleased with that. His mother mentioned in some article that he really became very much at ease after our meeting that that was the right thing for him to do.”

With the “one-and-done” rule pushing more and more college freshmen into the pros since its inception prior to the 2006 NBA Draft, Williams and UNC have had just four players declare after just one year in Chapel Hill.

When Marvin Williams declared as a freshman after helping UNC win the title in 2005, the rule was not yet in place and he could have declared for the draft straight out of high school the year before.

Brandan Wright was the first true “one-and-done” back in 2007, while a ten-year gap stood in between he and fellow big man Tony Bradley–who was a first round pick by the Utah Jazz in 2017 after helping the Tar Heels win a national championship.

There was a sense that “one-and-done” type players were avoiding the Tar Heels in recruiting battles in favor of schools like Kentucky and Duke because of Williams’ short track record of putting them into the draft.

With Little and White set to buck that trend this year–not to mention McDonald’s All-Americans Cole Anthony and Armando Bacot arriving in Chapel Hill this upcoming season–it’s fair to say that things might truly be changing at UNC.

 

 

Cover photo via Todd Melet