Since Hubert Davis succeeded Roy Williams in 2021 North Carolina has been on quite the rocky ride. After a run to the national title game in his first year, disappointment in year two, and an ACC title in year three, Davis took North Carolina back to the Big Dance, albeit in another season where the Tar Heels underachieved. North Carolina barely got into the Tournament field and weren’t exactly elite in what was a terrible season for the ACC as a whole.
Regardless of how you look at last season’s results, the roster will look almost unrecognizable in comparison moving forward. Seth Trimble is the only notable piece back from last season and the now-senior guard will have a massive role next season. North Carolina bid farewell to basically all of their frontcourt pieces as well as a program hero in RJ Davis, leaving the staff with many holes to fill.
A very talented recruiting class did part of the job, as the Tar Heels landed 5-star forward Caleb Wilson and Top 60 players in Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon for their backcourt. North Carolina also bolstered up on transfer, with a five-pack of additions. Former Alabama forward Jarin Stevenson will vie for important minutes while several new guards jockey for major roles. Jonathan Powell is coming off success at West Virginia, Kyan Evans did good work last year for Colorado State, and Jaydon Young stays in the ACC after his work with Virginia Tech.
Regardless of the rotations and roster breakdowns yet to be determined, 7-0 center Henri Veesaar will certainly play a massive role next season in Chapel Hill. The native Estonian comes from three years with Arizona, though a shoulder injury forced him to redshirt and miss what would have been his sophomore season. Last year he was back on the court and averaged 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game largely off the bench for the Wildcats.
The frontcourt took a definite step back for the Tar Heels last season and has all new faces this season. Replacing Armando Bacot was an impossible task that North Carolina couldn’t achieve, but Veesaar hopes to make his presence felt for this program. He tracks as a prominent paint presence and should develop into a pertinent rebounder and shot blocker for the Tar Heels, something they certainly could’ve used last year.
Davis and his staff keep looking for the right formula and they may have hit a bit better this time around. There’s a lot that could be said about those new freshmen in town, but the experience is just as important. The myriad of new guards will each play important roles but throwing a 7-footer who’s a former Top 100 prospect into the frontcourt is a major win for this staff. Now, will Veesaar live up to the hype in his first major starting opportunity at center?