CHICAGO – North Carolina freshman forward Nassir Little, a consensus top-10 recruit who was ranked No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, played a season-low 14 minutes and tied his season-low in points in the Tar Heels’ 80-72 loss to Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday.

He finished with four points, two assists, one rebound, one block and one turnover on 2-of-8 shooting. Little watched from the bench during crunch time as the Wildcats held off the Tar Heels for their biggest win of the season.

North Carolina Coach Roy Williams addressed Little’s playing time and development after the game.

“I think he is trying hard. I want him to have more time,” Williams said. “That’s why I’m playing him at the three and four both, and it’s difficult for him. It’s difficult for anybody, when you’re crossing the line, whether it’s a position at point guard, two and three is a position, four and five is a position. There’s three spots but if you go across the line, it’s really difficult.

“I’m trying to get him some more minutes out there. Today we wanted him to drive the ball to the basket and we settled for three-point shots.”

On one costly defensive sequence in the second half, Little over-pursued a pass from Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans to PJ Washington, going for a steal, and it left him way out of position.

Washington drove to the lane, drawing North Carolina’s Kenny Williams, who left his man, Kentucky’s Keldon Johnson, wide open on the left wing.

Washington kicked the ball to Johnson, who hit a three to put Kentucky up by 11.

On an earlier defensive miscue in the first half, Little left Washington to step out on Kentucky’s Tyler Herro.

But Little got caught in no man’s land between the two Wildcats, leaving Washington open on the left block.

Herro found Washington for an easy alley-oop.

Shortly before halftime, Little pulled up from just beyond the free throw line for a contested jumper, which clanked off the back of the rim, leading to a loose ball rebound by Hagans, who just beat Little to the ball for the board near midcourt.

Hagans spun and initiated a fast break as Little jogged back on defense while Kentucky swung the ball until Herro stepped into an open three that put the Wildcats up eight.

“He’s a kid that’s trying to learn,” Williams said, “and he’s trying to learn against Texas, UCLA, Michigan, Gonzaga and Kentucky and so that makes it hard, as well. But I think he’s coming along. I love the way he wants to be good. He wants to be better. He’s willing to stay out there and shoot extra shots. He’s willing to do the things.”

Little hasn’t started this season but he’s fifth on the team in minutes at 19.4 per game. The highly touted freshman is North Carolina’s fourth-leading scorer at 10.8 points per game but it doesn’t help that two of the three players who average more points are the team’s starting forwards.

Leading scorer Cameron Johnson, the reigning ACC Player of the Week, is averaging 16.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting better than 48 percent from three.

“And the other thing, the guy that is playing in front of him made six out of eight from the three-point line and was the ACC player of the league last week,” Williams said of Johnson making it difficult for Little to get more minutes.

North Carolina’s other starting forward, Luke Maye, averages 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game on 35 percent shooting from behind the arc.

Little has shot 50 percent from the field this season and 58 percent inside the arc but he’s just 5-of-22 from three-point range this season, including 0-for-2 against Kentucky.

“He need to really have a good game defensively and give him a little more confidence there, and he needs a game for a couple of jump shots to go in,” Williams said. “But he’s trying and I’m sticking with him.”