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Nearly four months have passed since Pete Nance arrived at North Carolina, and while it has cruised by, the feeling around the team is that he has been there for much longer than that.

Nance, who played the last four seasons at Northwestern, and was honorable mention All-Big Ten, has meshed in so well, just about everything with him being a Tar Heel seems normal and natural, the players say.

“Pete’s been a tremendous addition,” junior point guard RJ Davis said recently at the ACC TipOff. “I feel like he’s been here already.”

Already meaning quite a while. Yet, Nance is still getting used to certain aspects of being a UNC player. He got a small dose the night of Live Action, when he played in front of approximately 12,000 fans.

And then there is the meshing part on the court. It has happened in most respects, but one thing still being fine-tuned, which will require actual games to fully cement, is his on-court cohesion with forward Armando Bacot.

Nance is 6-foot-11 and played in the post with the Wildcats, though he spent a lot of time at the top of the key setting screens and popping threes. Bacot is 6-foot-10 and should become UNC’s all-time leader in rebounds by January. He is also one of the leading candidates for national player of the year.

That is why UNC Coach Hubert Davis paired the two big men together for the Live Action scrimmage. It appeared like an uneven matchup for those thinking the point in the scrimmage was to give fans a competitive game. But that wasn’t at all the case. Davis wasn’t going to waste an opportunity for Bacot and Nance to take another step toward gelling together.

“It’s getting better and better every day,” Nance said about meshing with Bacot. “He’s such a great player, so trying to figure out how I can complement him and get him the ball, and how we work well together. It’s been great, and it’s coming along really well.”

Nance steps into the spot vacated by Brady Manek moving on, though they are different players. Davis says it’s unfair to compare the two, or for people to expect Nance to rake from the perimeter like Manek sometimes did. He did shoot well from three-point range last season, though.

The son of former Clemson and NBA star Larry Nance, Pete Nance averaged 14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocked shots per game last season. He shot 49.7 percent from the floor, including 45.2 percent (42-for-93) from three-point range. In four seasons in Evanston, IL, Nance scored 1,025 points and pulled down 578 rebounds in 2,588 minutes.

Interestingly, the one thing about Nance’s game that has surprised his coach is that he is actually in Chapel Hill wearing Carolina blue.

“I’m surprised that he’s not in the NBA,” Davis said. “With where the NBA and the game of basketball has gone with mobile bigs, I’m surprised he’s not in the NBA. He’s a legit 6-10, 6-11, he can guard one-through-five, he’s an excellent shot blocker, alterer of shots, he can handle the basketball, he’s a gifted passer, he’s an unbelievable communicator and screener, and he shot 45 percent from three last year.

“I’m surprised, but I’m also happy that he’s not in the NBA and that he has a North Carolina uniform on. Very happy with that (laughter).”

His teammates are, too.

They have gushed about Nance every time his name comes up. Junior guard Caleb Love couldn’t offer enough plaudits to satisfy expressing how he feels about Nance.

“He’s a great player. He’s a great teammate, first and foremost,” Love said. “He doesn’t care about his personal self, he cares about others, he cares about others’ success. I’d describe him as like he’s an all-around player.

“He’s a playmaker, he can get it off the dribble, he can defend multiple positions, so it’s great having him as a teammate.”

Nance and the Tar Heels are just a few weeks from beginning their quest for a national championship. And if the early returns are an indication, they believe Nance is a perfect fit for that mission.