The pledge from the 6-foot-7 small forward out of Orlando, Fla., was a huge coup for the defending national champion Tar Heels, helping earn their 2018 class the top mark in 247 Sports’ 2018 recruiting rankings. Long considered an Arizona lean by some analysts, Little chose UNC over the Wildcats amid the federal investigation that led to the arrest of Arizona assistant Emanuel “Book Richardson, along with three other Division 1 assistants and the director of the summer travel team for which Little played.
DECOURCY: If you think North Carolina got off easy, you’re missing the bigger picture
Friday, Little and his father, Harold, in sworn affidavits, denied being offered money in exchange for Little’s commitment by coaches from the University of Miami, according to the Miami Herald. Federal authorities claim to have recorded conversations, not made available to the public, of Little’s travel team coach, two adidas employees and several college coaches discussing organizing payments to players in hopes they would influence them to sign with schools sponsored by the athletic footwear and apparel company. Miami is not named specifically in the FBI’s report.
“We have affidavits from Nassir and his father, swearing under oath, under penalty of perjury, that neither he, nor his family, nor anyone associated with the University of Miami, ever so much as discussed any payment of any kind, and we view that as a huge step forward,” said Ed Shohat, an attorney for Miami coach Jim Larrañaga. “These sworn statements destroy the narrative put out by the federal government, and, in my view, renders their investigation a farce.”
North Carolina is sponsored by Nike.
