5-star recruit Nassir Little commits to North Carolina amid FBI corruption scandal

The 6’6 wing didn’t look like he would go to UNC two weeks ago.

Nassir Little has committed to North Carolina. The 6’6 wing out of Orlando is a 5-star recruit ranked No. 14 in the class of 2018 by ESPN.

Two weeks ago, no one would have expected the Tar Heels to land him. This is the conclusion of the oddest and most publicly scrutinized recruitment of the year.

Little looked like he was would commit to Arizona or Miami 10 days ago

That was before the release of the FBI’s massive corruption investigation, which put Little’s recruitment in the national spotlight.

Little is widely believed to be “Player-12” in the indictment. “University-7” is widely believed to be Miami. The FBI investigation revealed “University-7” was set to offer “Player-12” $150,000 for a commitment. Another school aligned with a different apparel brand was allegedly offering the same amount.

One thing we know for sure: Brad Augustine, the director of the 1 Family AAU program Little played on, has been arrested by the FBI. While Little isn’t officially implicated, he could be the subject of an NCAA investigation into his eligibility.

If Little can take the court, this is a massive get for UNC.

North Carolina has had some down years on the recruiting trail since hauling in three McDonald’s All-Americans in the class of 2014. Roy Williams did well to grab Tony Bradley (his first one-and-done in a looooong time) for last year’s team, and this year’s team will feature a top-30 recruit in guard Jalek Felton.

Still: Little commits to the program with more NBA hype any UNC player since Harrison Barnes in 2010. ESPN’s initial 2019 NBA mock draft projected Little at No. 7 overall. Tony Bradley went No. 28 this past June.

Little is an athletic wing who brings energy on both ends of the court. North Carolina hasn’t had many marquee one-and-done freshmen under Williams, but he appears to fit the bill. If he’s eligible.