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USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former UNC basketball one-and-done signs overseas pro basketball contract
Can this former Tar Heel find his way back to the NBA? The 2018-2019 UNC men's basketball team had championship potential, only for that potential to come up short against Auburn in the Sweet 16. One key reserve on that Tar Heels squad was Nassir Little, who played all 36 games and averaged 9.8 points per game, but never started once. Little made an interesting decision to make an NBA jump after that one season in Chapel Hill, going 25th overall to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2019 NBA Draft. After five NBA seasons playing mostly as a reserve, Little is heading overseas. On Thursday, Little agreed to a 1-year contract with the Chiba (Japan) Jets. Chiba plays on the Japanese B1 level, which is Japan's equivalent to the NBA. With Little signing a 1-year contract, I imagine Little's hope is to have his best professional season, then make a jump back to the NBA. Philadelphia 76ers power forward Guerschony Yabusele did the same thing Little is attempting: played with the Boston Celtics for a couple seasons, moved overseas for five seasons and enjoyed his best NBA season to date last year. 'I'm excited about the opportunity to help the Chiba Jets win a championship!' Little said in a statement relayed by the club. 'I know some of the players on the team and I've been to Japan for vacation so I really look forward to this experience. I've heard Chiba is a great club with a great new arena and great fans. I look forward to meeting everyone and I'm excited to have a great season!' Little spent his first four NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, starting a career-best 23 games and averaging a career-high 9.8 points per game in the 2021-2022 campaign, then moved to the Phoenix Suns ahead of his 2023-2024 year. Phoenix then released Little, who spent last season with the NBA G League's Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game – but never appearing in an NBA regular-season game. Little reminds me a lot of the recently-drafted Drake Powell: strong defense is his calling card, with the ability to drop 10 points on any given night. I think Little and Powell would both benefit from another year at North Carolina, but they're now each set to continue on with their professional basketball journeys. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New York Giants' Brian Burns praises Tomon Fox, calls him underrated
When the New York Giants decided to bring back outside linebacker Tomon Fox this offseason on a one-year, exclusive rights free agent deal, it wasn't seen as major news. But Giants fans know that Fox, who has been with the team since being signed as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina in 2022, is a key part of the club's defensive depth and a key special-teams performer. Fox played in 11 games last year and is not likely to see much of the field on defense this year with the addition of prized rookie Abdul Carter, but that shouldn't diminish Fox in anyone's eyes. He is still highly thought of by coaches and teammates alike. Veteran linebacker Brian Burns recently called out Fox by name, calling him underrated during an interview with the Giants Huddle Podcast. "This year, I'm planning on having waves and waves of rushers," Burns told host John Schmeelk. "Not only is it me and K.T. (Kayvon Thibodeaux), but now we have Abdul (Carter), Chauncey (Golston), we have a guy that goes under the radar a lot. His name is Tomon Fox. These are really guys that can get at the quarterback. I'm really excited." Fox has always been a favorite of the coaches as he is always ready to step in where needed. When he does step in, Fox usually makes his presence known. When the Giants initially signed Fox back in 2022, he drew praise from another Tar Heel legend who played a little linebacker here with the Giants: Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. "I know he's hardcore, and not being drafted will make him work harder. He is a solid player from what I've seen," Taylor said at the time. Fox has not disappointed since. He's been stuck in a numbers game, but that won't deter him. The Giants know they will be getting an A-level effort when they need one from him.
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kane Kepley gets drafted in second round of 2025 MLB Draft
Kane Kepley gets drafted in the second round Kane Kepley only spent one season with the North Carolina Tar Heels but his performance in the leadoff spot helped him get drafted early during the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday night. Kepley was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the draft at No. 56 overall, being the second Tar Heel to be drafted on Sunday night. He joins catcher Luke Stevenson who was taken by the Seattle Mariners. The 21-year-old Kepley is a North Carolina native who spent the first two years of his college career with the Liberty Flames before transferring to UNC. In his lone year with the Tar Heels, Kepley served as the team's leadoff man hitting .291/.451/.444 with 45 stolen bases over 61 games. With a smaller frame, he fit the leadoff role for UNC and hit just three home runs. With Kepley's selection, the slot value is at $1,680,000 for the pick. But it's expected the Cubs will go a little lower than that to help with the rest of their picks. Kepley is also the second ACC outfielder the Cubs have selected in this draft, taking Wake Forest's Ethan Conrad at No. 17 overall. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nets receive thank you message from Nuggets' Cam Johnson after trade
The Brooklyn Nets made one of the more surprising moves in the 2025 NBA offseason when they traded forward Cam Johnson to the Denver Nuggets in exchange of forward Michael Porter Jr. Brooklyn traded Johnson away almost three years after coming to the team via the Kevin Durant trade from the Phoenix Suns during the 2022-23 season, but he doesn't have any hard feelings. "First of all, man, just I love the people in that building, my teammates, coaching staff, front office, training staff, strength staff," Johnson said during his recent appearance on "The Young Man and The Three" podcast. Johnson has spoken about his excitement with going to Denver to compete for a championship alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, but he seemed to come away from the deal with good memories of Brooklyn. "The best part about playing in Brooklyn for me was just showing up to work every day and seeing those guys and ladies that we had in the building," Johnson continued. "I enjoyed it because of that and I had faith in what we were building because of that. I really think (head coach) Jordi's (Fernandez) a fantastic coach. Personnel constantly shifting. We had trades, we had injuries. He always maintained such a good approach to the team and he was always able to motivate us to play hard." The Nets traded Johnson to the Nuggets in the early days of free-agency for Porter and a Denver 2032 first-round pick that could prove to be a valuable trade asset someday. Johnson was coming off the best season of his career after averaging 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field and 39.0% from three-point land. Porter, who has also spoken about his anticipation of a bigger role in Brooklyn, will be trying to replace the production that Johnson provided, if not expand on it. While trades can strain a relationship between a player and the team trading him away, it seems that Johnson and the Nets parted on amicable terms and the former North Carolina Tar Heel gets to play with one of the best players in the league in Jokic as a result.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
Delta airplane wing part plummets onto NC driveway mid-flight
The sky is falling! A flap from a Delta Airlines plane plummeted from the sky and onto a driveway in North Carolina early Wednesday morning. 3 A flap from a Delta Airlines plane fell off mid-flight and landed onto a driveway in Raleigh, North Carolina. Atlanta News First The fragment found in a residential Raleigh neighborhood splintered off a Boeing 737 flight from Atlanta to Raleigh-Durham International Airport that had been delayed Tuesday evening due to a thunderstorm in Georgia, according to a spokesperson for Delta. The flap, which was 'evidently separated' from the left wing, didn't impede the aircraft's 'safe landing' in Raleigh-Durham, the spokesperson wrote. It landed smack dab in the middle of one unlucky Tar Heel's driveway, just a few yards away from their car. 3 The wing part just missed the Tar Heels' car in their driveway. Atlanta News First Still, the six crew members tending to the 109 customers aboard the flight didn't realize they'd lost the piece of precious cargo until they landed around 1:15 a.m. 'After the aircraft landed safely, it was observed that a portion of the left wing's trailing edge flap was not in place. Delta is fully supporting retrieval efforts and will cooperate with investigations as nothing is more important than safety,' the spokesperson wrote. Trailing edge flaps are used during takeoff and landing to help the plane slow down and maintain altitude, according to NASA. Passengers lucky enough to nab the coveted window seats near the wings typically have the perfect view of the flaps in action. 3 The crew aboard the flight didn't notice the flap was missing until they landed. AFP via Getty Images Last year, one Delta airplane also lost an emergency slide after it fell out of the plane mid-flight, when it wasn't even needed. The slide later bizarrely turned up in front of a beach house owned by a lawyer who happened to work at the very firm suing Boeing over repeated safety issues. In September, a small plane's door was blown off its hinges shortly after takeoff. No one was injured, and the plane was able to land safely.
