What’s next for UNC basketball after Henri Veesaar declares for NBA Draft

A major basketball decision hit the UNC men’s basketball program on Friday, with center Henri Veesaar officially declaring for the NBA Draft.

Veesaar broke out during his first season as a full-time starter in 2025-26, averaging career-bests of 17.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, plus a 60.8 percent mark on field goals and 42.6% on 3-pointers. Combining with Caleb Wilson to form the country’s best frontcourt, Veesaar struck fear into any opponent that faced the Tar Heels.

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With Veesaar’s decision, North Carolina now has another massive decision to make: finding a starting center for its 2026-27 roster.

Currently, UNC’s leading option is Florida Atlantic transfer Maxim Logue, who unexpectedly committed on Tuesday. A 6’9″ forward who averaged just 11.2 minutes across 49 games between the Owls and Oregon State, Logue finally gets his chance as a starter in Chapel Hill.

Logue averaged career-highs of 4.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season. His best asset is offensive rebounding, a foundation of North Carolina basketball, with 1.9 boards per contest.

Neoklis Avdalas, the Tar Heels’ first portal commitment, is a 6’9″ guard from Virginia Tech. Avdalas thrived with 12.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game across 31 starts for the Hokies. His next challenge? Possibly learning a new position.

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Veesaar’s decision also opens the door for James Brown and Ivan Matlekovic’s transfer portal withdrawals. Brown, a 6’10” center who played nine games a season ago, entered Chapel Hill as part of a star-studded 2024 recruiting class with Drake Powell and Ian Jackson. Matlekovic, a 7-foot big man like Veesaar, transferred in from High Point during the 2025 offseason.

Brown played 18 games during his freshman campaign in 2024-25, but only nine a season ago. Brown’s best appearance came during the Tar Heels’ 89-74 win over Radford on November 11, setting season-bests of eight minutes, four points and three rebounds (later tied).

Matlekovic played…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/whats-next-unc-basketball-henri-192645073.html

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Publish date : 2026-04-24 19:26:00

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